


Deathberry's Journey

by Ichigo_Oga



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-07-25 15:55:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 55,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20028418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ichigo_Oga/pseuds/Ichigo_Oga
Summary: A year after his mother's death, Ichigo finds himself in a world that he knows doesn't exist and met four spirits. Deciding to know what they truly are, he goes to his father who takes him to a shop. Take a different road IchiHime fans. Dual Wield Zanpakuto! Resurreccion! Quincy powers! OOC. New chapters every week or two. HIATUS





	1. I'm a what?

**"Juha Bach"**

** _"Shiro-nii"_ **

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

It's been a year since she died. A year since the sun of his universe vanished. And he was the one to blame. Though people always told him it wasn't his fault, he had always considered himself to be the one at fault.

He has always been able to see spirits. He later understood that it was a spirit that lured him and got his mother killed. But why didn't he see the one killing her? Or rather, why'd he black out immediately after reaching the girl?

He then started to believe that whoever was in contact with him would end up dying with him being the reason. So he shut himself off from his peers. Only talking to his family members and no one else. He stopped going to the dojo where he learnt karate. He wanted to protect, that's why he kept himself away from the others.

Though a common bunch did always get close to him considering themselves as the hunter and him their prey. Could they help it? No. He was always protected by his friend Tatsuki whenever he was being picked on, but now? She wasn't here. And that's why, ever since he's cut off his connection to her, he grew stronger even if he didn't attend the karate classes. And just now, he got rid of about four kids a bit older than him and was on his way home.

Though the reason for him getting stronger was his father. Ever since he stopped going to the dojo, his father said he'd be the one to make his son stronger and keep his senses sharp. So just like usual, as soon as he opened the door to his house, his father came at him flying.

"WELCOME HOME ICHIIIIGOOOO!" His father came at him with a kick. Ichigo quickly sidestepped and dodged the attack before immediately elbowing the man in the gut. "You're improving my son. Keep it up."

His father said as he rubbed his gut. Ichigo just grunted and went to his room.

After a moment, he came down and went to the kitchen and started cooking dinner. He checked up on his sisters earlier and found them asleep taking a nap. He decided he'd wake them up when he's done cooking. He took the cooking recipe book and followed each steps.

After an hour or two, he was done cooking and took a taste. It was curry and it tasted good, at least to him. He then called out to his dad and went to wake his sisters up. After that they ate dinner and Ichigo was complimented on how good his cooking was. Yuzu being the one to resemble their mother immediately demanded that he start teaching her how to cook. He agreed to it and said that he'd teach her only the small and easy steps at first and move on to bigger ones later when she grows up. While Yuzu took after their mother, Karin took after him.

It didn't matter to him with who took after who. As long as his family was happy and safe, he'd live with it.

After dinner Yuzu joined him and their father in cleaning the dishes while Karin watched the TV. With three pairs of hands, the cleaning was done earlier and the three of them took a breather. Ichigo asked if anyone would go take a bath. When they said they were done, he got up and went to the bath.

Later that night, on his bed, Ichigo was thinking about the picture that he drew with his mother. He closed his eyes and imagined him being there with his family enjoying their picnic and before he knew it he was asleep…

* * *

Feeling something soft and a bit wet under him, he opened his eyes but the scene that he was greeted to was not the ceiling of his room. Rather, he was hit with the rays of the sun. He quickly covered his eyes with his arm and pushed himself up to a sitting position.

After adjusting to the sudden introduction to the rays of light, he removed his arm and looked at the scenario before him.

He was sitting on a soft lush grass. It was a bit wet from what he could tell and looked to his surroundings. His eyes widened when he saw to his right many skyscrapers and small buildings and houses along with convenience stores and a mall. Then he looked to his far left and saw the forest. In front of him were small flowers and plants. Further ahead he saw a big tree. After a few moments of thinking and observing he concluded that he was in the place he drew with his mother. Many would panic if they were in a place they never went to but Ichigo on the other hand felt safe.

The thoughts of his mother hurt him and rain started falling as if the skies were crying in tune to his soul.

**"Don't be upset Ichigo." **A deep voice rang from behind him. He stood up and looked behind him to see a middle aged man in some kind of black cloak constantly blowing with a pair of shades looking up at the sky. **"It rains whenever you're upset or sad. And I hate the rain. I'd much prefer bathing in the rays of the sun than be wet."**

Ichigo clearly heard the man and despite not knowing him, he felt as if he actually did. And he could tell that the man wasn't hostile and so, he loosened up. "Who are you? How do you know me? Where am I? And why-"

**"Why do you feel like you know me?" **The man asked as he craned his neck to look at Ichigo. Ichigo was surprised that the man knew what his question would've been but nodded nonetheless. **"It's simple. I'm a part of you. A part of your soul. That's why you feel like you know me. As for where… this place is your inner world or soul. Since you've always treasured this place in your picture that you've drawn, your inner world turned to this."**

The man finished with a wave of his hand. **"As for who… my name is Juha Bach and I'm the representation of your Quincy powers."**

Ichigo was confused. His inner world? His soul looks like this? What's an inner world? The man in front of him is a part of him? And what does he mean by 'Quincy powers'?

Sensing his confusion, Juha Bach sighed and said, **"Ichigo. Follow me. There're more people waiting to meet you." **He walked away towards the forest with Ichigo trotting behind him.

The trees in the forest varied from small to big but all of them were beautiful to say the least. He kept following the man and soon heard the sound of rushing water. He was then greeted to the sight of a small blue lake with rocks, hills and trees surrounding it. One of the hills had a waterfall which kept supplying the lake with water. The scene in front of him was in every sense, beautiful.

"It's so beautiful." Ichigo breathed out with a smile.

"_It is, isn't it?" _A warm feminine voice came from his right. A figure soon came into sight from among the shadows between the trees. It was a young lady who was a bit younger than his mother and was a drop dead gorgeous woman with a well-endowed figure that many would kill to get. She had long reddish-orange hair tied into a loose ponytail that was brought forward and rested over her left breast. Her eyes were greenish-blue. Her skin was light and fair toned and a warm and gentle smile was present on her beautiful face wearing a blue kimono which had white floral patterns and a full moon colored orange and red obi. _"I suppose we're meeting for the first time aren't we?" _She asked in a melodious voice that sounded like music to his ears.

He blushed a bit and nodded looking down not finding confidence in his voice. The lady giggled at him cutely trying to hide his blush. He was about to ask her a question but was interrupted by another feminine voice. This one was younger and had a light angry touch to it.

"_About damn time you showed up!"_ The voice exclaimed from atop a tree. The girl dropped down before him and looked at him with a scowl that rivaled his. She had crystalline-blue hair and glowing red eyes wearing a red kimono which had blue flame patterns and a full moon and blue obi. She looked older than him but younger than the other woman.

The older woman then hissed at her. _"Language! He's still a child!" _The younger of the two huffed and crossed her arms under her rather well endowed breasts which comparatively were smaller than that of the older one.

Ichigo looked up at Juha Bach who nodded at him. He then coughed in his hand and looked at them. "Who are you two?"

The younger one looked at her counterpart incredulously and exclaimed, _"__You didn't tell him who we are?!"_

_"It's his first time meeting us!"_

The blue haired one shut up and looked at him with a harsh and calculating gaze. Then she nodded to the older one and looked at him.

Together they spoke up, _"Our name is …"_

Ichigo looked at the two in confusion. He saw them utter the name but why didn't he hear it? "Sorry, can you repeat your name again?"

The duo sighed and repeated again but the results were the same.

_"Great! Our brat of a master can't hear us!" _The younger one exclaimed. The older one frowned and looked at Ichigo who was cutely glaring at her counterpart for calling him a brat.

"_I'm sorry Ichigo but it looks like you're not ready to learn our name yet." _She said sadly. She then perked up and said, _"For now, call me Aka_ _(red) and call her Ao_ _(blue)."_

Ichigo frowned and asked why he wasn't ready to hear their names yet. She said, _"You're a shinigami and we two are you zanpakuto spirits. We're like Juha Bach and are also parts of your soul but represent your shinigami powers."_

Ichigo was now severely confused. The old guy says he was his Quincy powers and the female duo says that they're his zanpakuto and he was a shinigami. What does that mean?

_"It means you're a hybrid you little wimp!" _The younger of the duo said.

"I'm not a wimp!" Ichigo retaliated back at her.

She simply rose her left eyebrow and crossing her arms she said, _"Oh really? Then who was the one who started crying like a baby every time he lost to a girl and had to be calmed down by his mother?" _Her harshness even irritated Juha Bach and he about to protest until a distorted voice spoke up.

_**"You better watch your mouth. You're talking to the king." **_All of them looked behind to see a masked man in white long full-sleeved coat with black fur on the collar and wrists walk in their direction. He had long white hair and a fearsome black mask with horns protruding from the temples with white markings.**_ "Need I remind you what the king has been going through the last year?" _**The figure said as it stood beside Ichigo and looked down at him. He didn't want to show himself to his king now, but he just wouldn't tolerate his king being made fun of even if it was a part of his soul. He was expecting his king to be scared but he didn't expect the response he got from his king.

"You look so cool! How'd you get that mask?" Ichigo asked tugging on his hakama with big eyes full of wonder. "And what's under your mask? Why're you hiding your face?"

The white being was bit surprised at seeing his king look at him with no traces of fear, just pure childish wonder.

_ **"** **Like she said, you'll learn our names and what's underneath the mask when we deem you ready for it."** _

Ichigo frowned and observed the figure from head to toe. "Then can I call you Shiro-nii for now?" The masked figure nodded before going silent. The first one spoke up.

**"It's about time you go Ichigo." **Ichigo looked at him in confusion and nodded. When nothing happened, he became embarrassed and asked how he could go. **"Will yourself to return and you will. Oh and also ****ask**** your father what shinigami, hollows and Quincies are."**

Ichigo willed himself to leave and slowly started disappearing into spirit particles. Before he was completely gone, he asked the new member, "Then what do you represent?"

The masked figure looked at his king and said, _**"I represent your hollow powers." **_And then he was gone.

* * *

The next morning when Ichigo woke up he was wondering if what he saw and experienced was a dream or not. His answer came from the back of his mind by Aka confirming that their meeting was indeed true and not some dream.

He then got ready for school and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. By the time he was done, the whole family was on the table with Yuzu and Karin all messed up.

They ate the breakfast in peace and Ichigo sent the twins to freshen up and get ready for school. When he was sure he and his father were alone, he turned to him with a serious expression and called out to him. "Dad. We need to talk."

Ichigo's seriousness caught him off guard a bit. "What is it son?" His father asked curious as to what was it that they needed to talk about for him to be so serious. Could it be that his son found out about his powers? No that shouldn't be possible after what was done after his mother's death. Ichigo didn't meet any shinigami nor hollows yet or quincies for that matter.

"Tell me…" Ichigo began with a scowl staring right at his father's eyes. "… _what _are you? A shinigami? Quincy? Hollow? Which one?"

Isshin stared at him blankly. So the worst has happened? But how did his son find out? He shook his head and asked, "Where did you hear those?" He decided instead of hiding he'd tell him he truth. Much to his surprise his son told him about his trip to his inner world which looked like the picture that he drew with his mother. "Hmm… well son, I _was_ a shinigami." So his son had already met his zanpakuto spirits.

"Really? But what are they? And what are hollows and Quincies for that matter? And what do you mean by 'was'?"

"Well son… to answer your questions I'll take you to a place where you can learn what they are after your school."

Ichigo nodded in acceptance just in time his sisters announced that they were ready. The father dropped his children off at their school and instead of returning to the clinic he went somewhere else. A nearby shop.

* * *

The father arrived at the shop 'Urahara Shoten' within a few minutes. He knocked on the door three times and waited. He was greeted by the shopkeeper himself.

"My my, Isshin. What brings you here?" Urahara asked. Seeing his serious face Urahara beckoned him to follow him deeper inside the shop. On the way he asked Tessai to bring them tea. "So… what happened? You seem unusually serious." He asked sitting down with Isshin opposite to him.

"Your plan failed." That was all Isshin said as he looked down at his cup of tea.

Urahara hummed and asked, "What makes you say that?" He asked seriously. All his traces of joviality gone.

"Ichigo visited or rather was pulled to his inner world and met his zanpakuto, Quincy and hollow spirits."

Urahara was shocked. His plan failed? Last year after Masaki's death Isshin came to him to find a way to seal off Ichigo's rampant reiatsu. He was given two options. One was to use a kido seal only to have it broken in time due to emotional bursts. Second was to have the hogyoku stored in him which would with time absorb all his reishi and turn him into a complete human with no spiritual senses.

Isshin didn't like either, mostly the second one but went with it because there was high chance of the kido breaking to Ichigo's bursts of rage everyday. And the second one did work. Ichigo's reiatsu has decreased down to half of what it was.

But neither thought that it'd backfire after a year. Not to mention the fact that Ichigo's reiatsu _did _decrease over the year while Isshin's own was returning. Then there was his hollow spirit but by the tone of Ichigo and his story, the hollow seemed quite protective of his 'king'.

"There is one thing that I can think of. It's highly likely for the hogyoku to have merged with his soul making his human body the same as that of his soul. Has he shown any signs of having similar properties as that of a soul?" Urahara said after a bit of thinking. At least his objective of destroying the hogyoku was unexpectedly achieved.

Isshin thought for a while and said, "He seemed physically more fit and he actually has more strength than a kid his age should have if I take into consideration that his elbow yesterday _did _hurt a bit than normal."

Urahara hummed and leaned back on his left arm while he held the fan on the other hand. He thought as he stared at the ceiling. "What you said does show signs of his soul merging with his human body. In fact, he can even be considered immortal by the next few years or at the end of his teenage years no thanks to the hogyoku." He sighed as he finished. He was glad that the hogyoku was gone for good but had a nasty feeling that it'll bite him in the back hard. "What will you do now Isshin?"

Isshin looked up at the shopkeeper and said, "He asked what shinigami, Quincies and hollows are this morning and I decided to bring him to you after school to explain."

"Still scared of revealing your secrets Isshin?" Came a gruff masculine voice from beside Urahara making the man jump in shock. The voice belonged to a black cat with golden eyes.

Isshin narrowed his eyes at the cat all the while Urahara complained about scaring him. Isshin said, "I didn't think the time would come so soon. I wanted him to live a normal human life. I'll tell him everything because he even questioned _what _I am." The cat simply stared at him and licked its paw.

"So you _do _have balls. Good or I might have had your face gone through plastic surgery."

"Kisuke. Ichigo might end up wishing to learn how to get a hold on his powers. And since I haven't recovered enough to teach him I want you, Yoruichi and Tessai to train him. Can you do that?" Isshin asked seriously.

Kisuke shifted to his shopkeeper persona and said, "My my, how can a humble shopkeeper like me train your son?" Isshin simply punched him and Yoruichi scratched his face. "So cruel." He sobbed and then turned serious. "Are you sure Isshin? Your son will be thrown into a world of blood and gore. Even _he _might end up finding about your son and make his move."

Isshin sighed and nodded. He knew how his son can be stubborn and determined. Ever since he said that his name meant 'One Guardian', Ichigo has been more than determined to protect his family and friends. Damn hero complex. Not that he's one to talk. He did the same thing he knows what his son will end up doing. Protecting. Maybe it's a genetic disease? 'Probably'_. _He snorted mentally at that.

"Well then, be sure to bring him after school here then. I'll take care of his school lessons and Zanjutsu. Yoruichi-san will see to his Hoho and Hakuda training. Tessai will see to his kido training."

Isshin nodded and stood up. He'd go back to his home and wait for his kids' school to end. He'll pick up the twins first and have them looked after by a familiar babysitter while he'd take Ichigo to Urahara. He only wondered if his son's zanpakuto would be a 'Getsu' or not. He sported a grin when he thought of leveling up his attacks.

Isshin frowned however when _he _came to his mind. He had suspicions about the timing of the hollow's arrival and _his _selection. His head started to ache with questions and possibilities. He slapped his cheeks and stood up to bring his angels home and call the babysitter.

* * *

Ichigo came out of his school just in time to see his father leaning against the gate arms crossed waiting for him. 'Shiro-nii' gave him an idea to which a devious grin appeared on his face and dashed at full speed towards his father.

Isshin was a bit confused to see a grin appear on his son's face. He was wondering the reason why? Though he didn't expect his son to dash towards him and half way throw the bag at him. He effortlessly caught the bag and was about to ask why he was so excited and got his answer in the form of his son kicking out his legs making him fall face first on the ground. Ichigo then proceed to lock his arms and hold him down into submission.

"What's wrong old man?! Age catching up to you or something?!" Ichigo laughed still holding his father down. "You let your guard down and _this _is the result. Never let your guard down!"

Finally Isshin was brought back to his senses out of his confusion when he pieced everything together. Devious grin. Dashing towards him. Throwing the bag at him to use it as a distraction. Kick his legs and hold him in submission. A grin appeared on his face as he struggled to get out of the submission hold his son had on him. A few moments after trying he was set free and picked up Ichigo on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed towards the shop all the while laughing. Both ignored the people giving them weird looks.

He was glad that his son was finally laughing. He asked how'd he get that idea and the answer he got surprised him. 'Shiro-nii' gave him the idea to catch him off guard. He had to admit, the hollow was creative and he also noticed the increase in Ichigo's strength.

Whatever. He'd get his questions answered in the shop.


	2. Welcome to the family!

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Shiro-nii"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

Two tears. It's been two years since Ichigo started his training. Thanks to his slowly increasing reiryoku reserves, he was able to properly regulate and maintain his reiatsu. And Yoruichi's teachings in stealth did work wonders. As it is now, should he wish for it, he can become completely invisible to spiritually affected beings.

Of course he took full advantage of the stealth lessons he learnt. He got back at Kisuke and his father for all the pranks that they pulled on him.

When they first met, Kisuke performed a full body check up on Ichigo and was able to conclude that the hogyoku indeed was gone and his spirit body had probably started merging with his human body as well. As a result he always had to train in his human body.

He's been doing better in school under the tutelage of Kisuke, coming into the top 5 eventually shocking his teachers. There was a condition to his training though. He must be in the top five of his class or else he won't be trained. This caused him to study hard whenever he was done with training.

Later on two years later at the moment, he can cast hado and bakudo up to the sixties without incantation. His growth didn't surprise his teachers that much considering that he was a hybrid but he was told that he was a prodigy. His zanjutsu and hakuda were impressive but his hoho needed a bit of work.

As for his Quincy training. Juha Bach had been training him on those every weekend nights after he goes to sleep. When he showed progress in Quincy arts during his training, his father gave him the Quincy cross that belonged to his mother. It brought tears to his eyes but he held them in not willing to show them to the others.

'Shiro-nii' had for now taught him Bala, Sonido and Pesquisa. Cero and Hierro would need a bit of hard work so he was told that he'd be taught those when he becomes thirteen meaning that he'd be learning those next year.

By these two years he ended up unlocking his shikai and mastered it to its full potential which would according to the spirits increase as he trains more in his inner world and with his teachers. When he revealed his shikai, to say that his father was crazy would be an understatement; not to mention the fact that his zanpakuto was a 'Getsu' as well, which was of the same category as his father's, a fire elemental zanpakuto. He was the third shinigami in history to be a duel wielder.

One thing that he learnt was his special ability to use pocket dimensions. Since he can't keep his zanpakuto hanging with him always, he used the pocket dimension to store the two sealed zanpakuto in it. When he told Kisuke about it, the man shrugged and said he didn't know but in his mind, it was a different statement. The work of hogyoku.

He and his friend Tatsuki had drifted apart neither bothering to approach the other even though both went to the same school. Everyone was a bit disappointed with his decision but then he told them about Tatsuki's overflowing pride and her stubbornness, he made his point across by concluding that she'd want to learn as well. That was legit and shut them up, this matter was no longer brought up for which he was grateful for.

Over the two years, he'd grown a reputation for himself. 'The Undefeated'. That's what thugs and bullies call him now. Add to that, his scowl when they show up makes him a complete delinquent with orange hair.

He lost the scowl that he'd gotten used to after his mother's death and often had a blank deadpan and cold look that practically screamed- 'Stay Away!' Though it did backfire on him as the school has its own fan club with his name. A fan club solely dedicated towards him. There were even a boy or two among the girls which scared him for his chastity.

He sometimes felt like he was being raped by the girls in his class whenever they look at him with a hungry gaze. Heck even his seniors asked him out to which he coldly rejected. And much to his shock they knew he'd reject them, and when asked why they did it nonetheless, they said they wanted him to behave coldly towards them just for the feel of it. He found out they are a bunch of masochists dedicated to him. When he told this to the others back in the shop, Yoruichi burst a gut laughing like crazy while his father cried about him not willing to give him grandchildren which acted as ammunition for Urahara to tease him.

And now he was on his way home from training only to be stopped but not by a group of thugs but a single black haired boy. He knew him. This kid was the topper of his class and a Quincy.

"Kurosaki." The boy greeted him pushing his glasses up.

"Ishida." Ichigo replied coldly that sent chills down said person's spine at how similar the berry was to his father.

"I see that you're a shinigami. Why exactly are you here? And so young?" The black haired kid asked. He simply got a blank look from Ichigo and created his bow when said person started laughing.

Ichigo stopped laughing and said, "You're right. I am a shinigami. And yes I'm young; does it matter?" He said with a smirk. He exactly knew who Ishida was to him. Since the other boy wasn't aware of this, he didn't bother informing him.

"Hmph. If so, then begone. Karakura town doesn't need you as I alone am enough." Ishida said pushing his glasses up.

Ichigo was getting pissed at this arrogant prick. He sighed and then said, "Make me."

Ishida simply pulled the string and launched a reishi arrow at Ichigo fully intending to finish him off. Oh how wrong he was.

Ichigo simply grabbed the arrow and crushed it shocking Ishida. "What is this thing? A Heilig Pfeil? Don't kid with me." Ichigo then looked up at him and said, "Look _pencil_, I'm gonna correct you in one thing." Ichigo simply raised his left arm and the moonlight reflected off of the Quincy cross dangling from his wrist. Ishida's eyes widened when he saw the cross. "You see, I'm a Quincy as well." He then created his own bow and pointed at Ishida.

Ishida was having a hard time processing the information. A shinigami with Quincy powers? He then came out of his stupor and asked, "How?" When he asked the question he wasn't expecting an answer but he was proven wrong and shocked when he heard his answer.

"I'm a human born with natural Quincy and Shinigami powers. My father was a shinigami captain and my late mother a pure blood Quincy. This cross belonged to my mother."

Feeling a headache approaching fast Ishida turned and said, "If that is the case, then forgive me." With that he was gone with a small burst of hirenkyaku. Ishida understood that Kurosaki, was far more superior to him if he could crush his Heilig Pfeil like nothing. It was a fight he couldn't win.

Ichigo dismissed his bow and headed towards his home fully intent on learning more of the Quincy arts after falling asleep.

* * *

Ishida Uryu was stumped. His grandfather told him that he was the last Quincy. Then how is it that there is another Quincy present in the town? He wanted to ask his father but his father either wasn't aware or wouldn't tell him.

He was a bit scared of Kurosaki after the display of power that he showed. Kurosaki crushed his arrow like it was nothing. Not to mention the fact that he was a shinigami-Quincy hybrid.

It was all confusing to him. But, his grandfather always wanted the union of shinigami and Quincy. Maybe his grandfather can rest easy that his dream has come true. However that doesn't mean he's willing to forgive the shinigami for killing his grandfather. He will get revenge and for that he'll have to grow stronger. But training alone can only do much, looks like he'll have to ask Kurosaki to train him, but two questions remain. One: will his pride allow him to ask Kurosaki for training? Two: where's the guarantee that Kurosaki would train him considering the hostility he showed at first?

'Only time will tell.'

* * *

Ichigo was surprised when the pencil approached him during lunch and asked to talk privately. He complied and went to the roof to satiate his curiosity.

He started wondering if he was even awake to begin with when he was asked by the pencil to train him. He pinched his cheek and arm to see if he was dreaming. Then after a short talk with his spirits, he said, "Fine. But you must call me Ichigo and let me call you Uryu. Got it?" He cheered mentally when he saw Ishida's dumbstruck look.

Uryu in the other hand didn't expect Kurosaki to accept his request so easily. And what was with that proposition? Letting and allowing to be called by first names? He shook his head mentally and decided that he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"But can I ask why is it that you want to train and grow strong?" Ichigo asked.

After a bit of contemplation he said, "My grandfather… he was taken by the shinigami to experiment on him. When the hollows attacked, the shinigami did nothing and waited till the hollows were done with him. In his weakened state he was struck down by the shinigami and taken with them. I wish for revenge, that's why I wish to grow stronger."

Seeing his determination Ichigo simply nodded and then sighed, "What happens when you're done with the shinigami? What will you do after that?"

That. Uryu didn't have an answer to but before he could put some thoughts on to the matter, both were distracted by the bell indicating the end of lunch.

"Meet me every weekend at 4 pm near the outskirts of the town. We'll start the training sessions there. See ya." Ichigo finished as he turned and headed towards his class.

Finally after a long time Uryu allowed himself to smile.

* * *

Five months passed since the two agreed to train together. Ichigo had taught him much about the Quincy history and what caused the shinigami to slaughter them those two centuries ago. Realizing the errors his race did, he was about to quit being a Quincy that was until Ichigo pulled him to Kisuke and had Uryu's Quincy cross modified the same way his own was done.

Since then Uryu had a bit trouble creating the bows but Ichigo taught him how shinigami use their own reiryoku reserves to fuel their zanpakuto and so Uryu once again was able to create proper bows even if he was using the Kojaku as he was more of a traditional guy to which Ichigo snickered.

Though Uryu still had to follow the same theory for Licht Regen, his number of arrows did end up increasing. Now at the age of twelve bordering on thirteen he could fire thousand arrows at once while Ichigo fired three thousand. Ichigo suggested multiple times to learn using a Heilig Bögen but he refused, since then Ichigo even stopped bringing up that matter.

While they made progress on the Quincy arts, Ichigo was also progressing in his hollow and shinigami powers. Sometimes he even sparred against Uryu not as a Quincy but as a shinigami. He haven't been told Shiro-nii's name yet and every time he gets the same response.

** _"You'll know when the time comes instinctually."_ **

But he could roughly guess that the time was soon. Maybe he had to prove himself? The same way he did with his shinigami zanpakuto?

Ichigo even learnt to mix in Shunpo and Sonido naming the new one as 'Shunido' and the mix of Shunpo and Hirenkyaku as 'Hirenpo'. He has been sharpening his skills with his zanpakuto spirits and since he's mastered Shikai and according to them has a huge reiryoku reserve, he might as well start his bankai training.

To avoid pressuring his body, he started with materializing Juha Bach and often played chess with him to keep his mind sharp and clear. And the other times, Juha Bach took tests to see how much he has progressed In Quincy arts and teach him more.

Then after that he started materializing Shiro-nii and spar with him in hakuda, hoho and hollow powers. No kido and zanpakuto as that would mean mixing shinigami powers as well.

After the past few months of materializing, he could maintain their presence in the real world for about six to eight hours. His spirits said he was making progress and it was considerably faster and more than an ordinary shinigami.

As for Kisuke… he has been stumped. He just couldn't understand why, just why was Ichigo's reiatsu levels the same? He's unlocked and mastered shikai, learnt bringing his spirits to the real world and yet his reiatsu levels were the same. He'd even went as far as to make a device to measure and keep records of his reiatsu levels and all showed the same amount.

He even had Ichigo let his reiatsu leak continuously without control and every time the results were the same and it was pissing him off. Never had he put his hand on a puzzle that he couldn't solve. But this…? Not happening.

He traced back his every steps the past years to see where he had gone wrong but found nothing. He simply gave up cursing the damn marble that he created.

Isshin on the other hand had been recovering his reiatsu faster and was now able to get out of his body with a mod soul. He too had been sparring with Ichigo to get the rust off of him. He couldn't release his shikai yet but was still able to give Ichigo a run for his money even though Ichigo's shikai was even more dangerous and explosive than his own.

He jinzened every time he was free and got into practice with his zanpakuto. In his inner world he could go all out no problem.

Hollows did attack the town but they were quickly purified by either Uryu or Ichigo. On the days of their tests, Isshin often took up the mantle and did their job all the while keeping a low profile. Isshin finally learnt how Gotei 13 has been weakened. They weren't sending shinigami to patrol the city and rarely brought academy students. Was this _his_ doing? It's a possibility since he probably wouldn't want anyone strong to stand in his way, it'd be a waste of time and hassle to deal with them.

As of now Isshin was sitting with Kisuke listening to what Kisuke was saying about his son's progress.

"While he's progressing very well and fast, his reiatsu levels are still the same."

Isshin was a bit confused. How can one progress this much with such low reiatsu? He's seen the damage Ichigo does in releasing his shikai, but there never was a considerable increase in energy. Not to mention that Ichigo was now even summoning his spirits now to train with them.

He's seen how brutal Shiro and Ao can be. They are probably the ones depending solely on instincts fueled by emotions and gets stronger with emotions like anger.

On the other hand, Aka and Juha Bach taught him how to keep a level head and calm calculating mind in a battle. With the training of those four, his body fights on instincts in a fluid motion thanks to Aka and always knows when to stop. That's a good progress but even so, why didn't his reiatsu increase?

Isshin was more surprised to know that his son could store his zanpakuto in pocket dimensions in thin air. They were surprisingly similar to those Gargantas that hollows use.

Isshin was caught off guard multiple times by Ichigo who at those times were keeping his assassination skills sharp. When asked why him, the answer he got was a bit irritating.

"Because your reactions are funnier." He was then later told that he'd often sneak up in Uryu and many more taking pleasure in surprising them. Yoruichi was proud.

His daughters were showing signs of spiritual awareness so on their birthdays, he got them seals in the form of jewelry or in Karin's case, wrist bands and other sports related accessories.

He often worked on hakuda with Ichigo whenever Ichigo's guard was lowered and he always end up losing the brawls, well most of them.

Though he and the others were all worried about what _his _plans were as he could get into action anytime he wishes to do so.

Fate was a bitch to his family.

* * *

Finally thirteen, Ichigo started working on his hierro and cero. It didn't take much time for him to get a good hold on the theories and try them out. In fact he instinctively did them like other hollows which was something Shiro wasn't expecting since he wasn't purely a hollow.

Then Ichigo was surprised when Shiro told him to ask the shopkeeper for another asauchi. When asked why, he said, _**"Aka and Ao has their own set of asauchi to channel their power. Juha has your Quincy cross. So I also need to channel my power through an asauchi."**_Ichigo then asked why not something else to which he said, _**"I'm a zanpakuto spirit as well albeit one containing your hollow powers. Like Aka and Ao I also have two releases but you'll have to earn them."**_

Then he relayed the message to Urahara who was shocked but asked to give him three days to 'manage' an asauchi. He just nodded and used the underground basement to go through his shinigami and Quincy skills before going to his hollow powers. He always does the one he wishes to focus on more at the end. He was proficient with pesquisa and had managed to deal more damage with balas.

After that, he focused on creating ceros and firing them. He managed to regulate the power output in each of them ranging from laser beams to tunnel shaped beams. He's already lost count of how many times he destroyed the basement but it wasn't enough to get traced by Soul Society.

By the time he was done, it was dinner time and he rushed back to his house only to stop at the scene. A girl, probably the same age as him sobbing on the couch of the clinic. His father was checking the patient who from what he could sense was nearly dead and in the next moment became a plus soul.

The plus soul tried talking to the girl but wasn't able to get through to her since she couldn't see ghosts. He frowned at the scene but met the plus soul in the eyes who brightened up when he saw Ichigo waving to follow him. The plus soul followed him out of earshot and asked what happened and why could he see him when his sister couldn't.

Ichigo frowned and took a deep breath. He said, "I'm sorry but you're dead." When the plus soul gave him an incredulous look he grabbed the chain and tugged lightly causing the plus soul to yelp in pain. "See this chain? It's broken and isn't connected to your body over there." He knew breaking the news could bring despair to the man and end up making him a hollow.

To his surprise, the plus soul took a deep breath and calmed down. He frowned and said, "My name Is Inoue Sora. She is my sister over there, Inoue Orihime. What's your name? And how can you see me when my sister can't?"

Ichigo shrugged off his surprise and answered, "My name is Kurosaki Ichigo. And I'm not a human. That's why I can see you." The man looked bewildered but nodded nonetheless. "I'm sorry but if you don't pass on to the after life then I'm afraid there will be monsters looking for souls like you. And it's a pain dealing with them."

"You can do that?" The man asked and frowned again, "But what will happen to my sister?"

Ichigo asked, "What about relatives? Can't they take her in?" The man grimaced and shook his head.

"I was the only one she had and now I'm gone."

Ichigo thought for a while and an idea came to him. "If you don't mind we can take her in. I'm pretty sure dad wouldn't mind. He's aware of us talking but what, he's not sure."

The man's face brightened up and he grabbed Ichigo's hands. "Really? You'll do that?!"

"Hmm. I'm the eldest of the siblings. I'm pretty sure the twins can get used to having a big sister as well."

The man started crying, but it was out of happiness. He started glowing and asked what was happening. Ichigo said, "You're passing on to the afterlife."

"I see. Thank you Ichigo. Thank you for willing to take my sister in your care."

Ichigo smiled and nodded. "You're welcome. Good bye." With that the man successfully passed on and Ichigo returned to the clinic. His father raised an eyebrow to which Ichigo nodded indicating the work was done. His father sighed and looked at the slumbering girl. His father told him that the news broke her heart and she cried her eyes out. "Dad." He called out seriously to his father who acknowledged him. "Can you adopt her into our family? I talked with her brother and it's what allowed him to successfully pass on."

Isshin simply smiled at his son and said, "Of course. The twins would love to have an elder sister as well and hopefully she will as well." He then covered her in a blanket and turned to Ichigo. "Won't you go to sleep?"

Ichigo ate his dinner while talking to his father about the arrangements for her to move in and with that done he said, "I'll stay and watch over her. She'll need someone her age when she wakes up."

Isshin looked at him for a while thinking how much Ichigo has matured over the last three years and it hurt him to know that he basically handed his son the sword and pushed him into a world where he has no business in. He sighed and smiled before nodding and left the orange duo.

Ichigo focused and summoned one of his spirits. "Aka-nee, can you please watch over her while I take a bath and bring a futon?"

"_Of course." _Came her sweet reply. Ichigo nodded in thanks and went to get done with what was left to do. She simply looked down at the girl and frowned. To lose everyone at an age so early was painful. She could only imagine what the girl was going through. She was looking forward to see how the girl behaves when she wakes up.

It took only ten minutes to be done for Ichigo and after setting his futon, he picked the girl up and put her on another bed and covered her with a blanket. With that done, he asked Aka to watch over them while they slept. This would also work in his favor for his bankai training.

She set his head on her lap as he lied down on the futon and ran her fingers through his hair and lulled him to sleep. He'd need it after all the next morning would be hectic.

* * *

The next morning Ichigo woke up before the others and started preparing breakfast. A few moments later the twins came and sat down on the table waiting for their brother to serve breakfast. Yuzu stood up and went to help Ichigo who gladly let her help.

Their father came and jumped on Ichigo only to be punched in the face. When he was done setting up their breakfast, he took another plate and filled it with food. He told them that he's going to check up on the girl and see how she's doing.

He went into the clinic and saw her stir. He placed the plate on the table near the bed and waited for her to fully wake up.

She sat up yawning cutely and rubbed her eyes then looked at her surroundings and looked confused. She then tilted her head in confusion and then the last night's memory came rushing back to her. She then turned to the bed next to her and saw the lump under the blanket. As he expected, she started sobbing and covered her face with her hands while she cried.

Not liking one bit what was happening, Ichigo sat next to her and embraced her. She tensed a bit before throwing her arms around him and cried her eyes out realizing that he was someone her age.

The twins peeked in the room and saw their brother holding the girl all the while running circles on her back. He noticed them and put a finger on his lips and shooed them. They left the two and went back to their room.

Isshin saw the scene and thought back to what Ichigo had asked of him.

_"Can you adopt her into our family?"_

He frowned but decided to wait for the girl to decide and left the place leaving the matter to Ichigo's hands.

Back at the clinic, the girl had calmed down and was still embracing Ichigo like he was her lifeline. Ichigo then decided to start a conversation.

"Hey… my name is Kurosaki Ichigo. What's yours?" Though he knew who she was, he asked again deciding not to creep her out by how he knew her name.

She sniffed and spoke up, "M-My n-name is I-Inoue Orihime. I-I'm the sister of the one who d-died last night here." She wasn't angry at them. No, the doctor did everything he could but failed. She won't hold a grudge against him. She was late in bringing her brother. She then started crying again and said, "What will I do now? I don't have anyone anymore!"

Seeing his chance he said, "Then why don't you start staying with us?" His Suggestion caught her off guard as she looked at him bewildered.

"B-B-But I'll become a burden to you! I can't do that!"

"Yes you can. And no you won't be a burden. Dad and I talked about it and he agreed taking you in. You can keep your surname if you wish." He countered with a frown and smiled at her, "Besides… I can't let a young girl like you live alone. I'd be worried sick if I let you live by yourself."

"B-Bu-"

"No buts! Besides, you'll have a family to live with. You won't be alone in this world. Come on, you'll love my sisters."

Orihime thought for a bit before deciding that his offer was a good one and she wouldn't be alone. She'd have a new family and siblings to look after. She then turned to him and wiped her tears. "Okay. I agree."

Ichigo then smiled brightly at her and hugged her. "That's the spirit! Welcome to the family!"

Orihime thanked him and hugged him back. Ichigo might be her new brother but that doesn't mean he'll replace Sora. Sora will always be her brother and so will Ichigo.

"Now then Hime-nee, eat up! I cooked breakfast and brought it for you." Ichigo smiled at her and gave her the plate. She then began eating slowly and noticed that the doctor or rather her new father leaning on the doorframe looking at them with a smile.

"Like he said, welcome to the family Orihime." Isshin said while he walked toward her and patted her on the head. Tears gathered in her eyes as she remembered her real father never talking to her like this. Seeing her tears Ichigo took a tissue and cleaned the tears getting a 'thank you' from her to which he smiled and said it was no problem.

"Orihime, we'll have to bring in your belongings and then get you properly adopted to our family." Isshin said to which Orihime nodded. Then two new figures appeared before her and looked at her.

"Hi! I'm Kurosaki Yuzu." The light brown haired girl said to her.

"And I'm Karin. So you're the one we're going to have as a new family member?" She asked smiling at her. Orihime nodded and introduced herself. The twins were quite happy to have someone new into the family and got along with her rather well.

Isshin coughed and said, "Girls, we'll be gone for an hour or two. Once we return with her, then you can talk to her more. Okay?" He asked them gently. They reluctantly nodded and with a quick 'see you' they left.

Isshin then turned to the orange hair duo and said, "Let's go, shall we?" The duo nodded and and got ready to leave.

Watching them chatting away, he sighed and looked at the photo of his late wife and smiled. 'You'd be proud of him Masaki.'


	3. Visords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Visords!

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Shiro-nii"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

It's been three months since Orihime had been adopted into the Kurosaki family. The family had been livelier ever since. Ichigo and Orihime looked after everyone like the family heads and did most of the chores.

After their mother died, Isshin wanted to take hold of the chores but Ichigo soundly told him not to since he was already a busy man as a doctor. Even still, he helped the two whenever he could.

When Orihime returned to school next day with Ichigo, the school was gossiping about them being couples to which Orihime blushed while Ichigo scowled. Tatsuki on the other hand was worried for her but was relieved to see her best friend smiling like usual, not the forced one she'd expected.

Tatsuki's reaction was hilarious when Orihime publicly called him 'Ichi-nii'. Ichigo couldn't stop snickering every time he saw Tatsuki. She even chased him at one point for doing so.

By the end of the day, the school knew that Orihime was adopted into the Kurosaki family. Tatsuki wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried considering who the father was, but then remembered the twins and was relieved that her friend would be happy living with them instead of alone.

Since then Tatsuki's visit to the Kurosaki house had been frequent. She threw a fit when she heard that Orihime shared the same room as Ichigo but when she saw the two story bed, she relaxed.

Ichigo's room had a bit of changes done to it. Another wardrobe and a study table was added. He didn't mind. At least he wouldn't be studying alone in his room.

As for his progress. He got to know Shiro's name. 'Zangetsu' was the name. Though if he wanted to learn his Resurreccion, he'd have to defeat Zangetsu in his Resurreccion form. Should he succeed, he'd be taught how to master the form and be as strong as he already was in using shikai.

When he saw the Resurreccion, he was fascinated at how fierce the form looked. But he later found out the hard way how strong the form was by being its rag doll. Ao on the other hand laughed hard at the scene but was later forced to face the same fate as her master.

After every training session was over in his inner world or the material world, he'd often lie down on Aka-nee's lap and nap while she'd comb his hair lulling him to sleep.

He'd come clear with Orihime about his powers and what not and she was quite impressed and proud to have an amazing brother like him.

As for his training with Uryu. The pencil had progressed rather well and now could fire 2000 arrows at once even though he used the same traditional way of using Licht Regen. Quincy Arts wasn't the only thing they focused on.

Ichigo had been training him in hand to hand combat as well as using swords because one simply cannot always fight in long range. They had become closer friends and often studied together at his house or at random cafés. Both of them always snatched the top two positions in their class.

Uryu no longer destroyed souls and as much as he hated Soul Society, he didn't want to go to hell for destroying souls. So he purified souls just like Ichigo with his bow.

The two would often take turns. They would alternate every day dealing with the hollows to make sure that none of them were left behind the class by that much.

As for the street thugs. When they had stumbled upon the orange haired duo, they tried making a move on Orihime in front of Ichigo and the day for those fools didn't end well. Ichigo twisted their bones in different angles and sent one of two into short-time coma. Since then, the thugs had always kept distance.

The same thing happened on another day when they were accompanied by Tatsuki as well and she was impressed by how strong Ichigo had become over the years. When she asked how he got strong, he simply told her about his father's ambushes which for some reason creeped her out.

Heck, whenever the Kurosaki matriach tried hugging Tatsuki calling her his fourth daughter, and the man would often end up beaten by her hands and pass out after giving her a thumbs up. Thanks to Tatsuki's frequent visits, Ichigo and she had repaired their broken friendship due to their drifting apart.

Even though Orihime couldn't see spirits, she had asked Ichigo to train her in hand to hand combat so that she always didn't need to be protected. She wanted to have her brother's back in dealing with the thugs. Seeing her determination, he decided to take her under his wing and it'd help him in the long run as well, so why not?

* * *

Five months later he was finally able to achieve his Resurreccion though it wasn't the same as the one Zangetsu had shown him. His one was immature and needed more training to reach the perfect form if not better than what Zangetsu had shown him.

He was more than determined and for the moment focused on mastering the form and reaching perfection. After all, practice makes a man perfect.

And besides; his training in the underground basement of Kisuke gave the shopkeeper the best chance to study the form. He even sometimes had sparred against Ichigo in that form and even though the form was an Adjuchas level hollow, it was as strong as a Vasto Lorde. But knowing the original hollow 'White', he should've expected it.

During his training in hopes of mastering his hollow form, he'd often materialize his other spirits as well as Zangetsu in the Resurreccion form and fight all of them at once further impressing his mentors at how he'd progressed.

Just because he was focusing on mastering the form doesn't mean he wasn't keeping in touch with his shinigami and Quincy powers.

He then made an interesting discovery. He could use kido in his hollow form. So he made use of this chance to master the kido spells to the level he could perform them with just their name. He had mastered hado and bakudo upto the seventies.

Further training with Yoruichi allowed him to polish everything he learnt on speed, assassination and stealth. Kisuke on the other hand had taught him how to modify or create his own kido which he failed multiple times and decided to try after he mastered hado and bakudo up to the nineties.

Though, the same thing kept on bugging the scientist. Why wasn't there any kind of change in reiatsu if he was growing so strong? He decided to completely drop the matter seeing as it doesn't produce any kind of satisfactory results and besides, he can always find out more when Ichigo finally learns bankai.

'Yup. I'll wait 'till he achieves bankai.' He thought. Though he did often wonder whether _he _was aware of the events or not. 'Only time will tell.'

* * *

School ended just now. Ichigo had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was forgetting something important. He asked his spirits but they in a suspiciously innocent manner said they didn't know.

"Are you okay Ichi-nii?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah… it's just that I feel like I'm forgetting something." Ichigo replied scratching his head.

"Knowing you, whatever it is will cause trouble. Now let's go." Tatsuki said picking her bag and Orihime nodded.

"Bite me." Ichigo said scowling at her as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

The closer he got to the school gates, the more his instincts started screaming at him. He kept glancing everywhere. Heck, he even used pesquisa to make sure nothing was wrong. Just as he was sure that every thing was fine, a pair of familiar slender mocha arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist along with two soft mounds of flesh pressed against his back.

A seductive voice whispered into his ears, "Ichi-chan~." Apparently the other two also noticed the sudden arrival and jumped a bit.

Ichigo sighed and said in a tired voice, "Yoruichi-nee. What are you doing here? And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" The feeling that he was forgetting something increased suddenly.

Yoruichi pouted and rubbed her cheeks with his. "Aw~ don't be so rude. I've missed you and besides I can call you whatever I want." By this point the four had moved quite a distance from the school with Yoruichi still hanging on Ichigo.

Ichigo smirked and then said, "If that is the case, then that means I can also call you whatever I want. Like 'Kitty-sensei' or 'Kitty-chan' or just 'Yoruichi'." His smirk vanished and paled as soon as he saw her Cheshire grin starting to split her face.

"Oh? Then by all means do call me those. That would mean…" she paused and whispered to him in a husky and seductive voice, "… I can jump you right here and now. All this time I didn't because you've been adding 'nee' to it. But now if you remove it, then you won't even know when you're… deep… inside… me." She ended biting on his ear. He nearly moaned. She smirked in victory seeing Ichigo's red face.

"N-No! T-Then I-I'd rather still add 'nee' after your name." Yoruichi pouted again but didn't let go of him.

Since Tatsuki amd Orihime was a bit ahead of them, Tatsuki asked Orihime who the lady clinging to Ichigo was. Apparently she was a family friend and often hanged out with the two. Finding their interaction weird, she asked, "Then why is she um riding him like that?" Her awkward wording made herself blush and make Orihime giggle.

"That's something the two always did. Something about keeping Ichi-nii strong and increasing his muscle mass." Orihime said tapping her chin. "And besides it's kind of fun 'riding' him like that." Orihime said slightly teasing her friend in a suggestive manner wiggling her eyebrows. Seeing her friend's red face she placed a hand on her mouth and said in mock realization, "Oh my! Don't tell me you want to be in her position! If so, why don't you ask him?" She ended with her eyes glinting mischievously. She laughed when Tatsuki's face turned a deeper red.

"Hime-nee." Ichigo called getting Orihime's attention. "Can you take my bag? I'm gonna hang out with this kitty."

Orihime giggled and took his bag. "Enjoy~."

"Wanna join us Hime-chan? It'll be fun!" Yoruichi asked with a mischievous smile.

Orihime giggled and said, "Another time Yoruichi-nee-san. I'm going to hang out with Tatsuki now." Yoruichi nodded and tugged on her ride's hair making him turn to the opposite direction.

By the time the two were gone, Tatsuki had relatively calmed down from Orihime's teasing. Her brain even formed suggestive images of her 'riding' Ichigo which further embarrassed her. "Will he be fine?" She asked looking in the duo's direction.

"Missing him already?" Orihime asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"When the hell did you learn teasing?!" Tatsuki exclaimed.

Orihime shrugged and said, "Blame Yoruichi-nee-san for that. You're bound to pick up habits from her the longer you stay around her." Tatsuki deflated at her words while getting her back patted.

Tatsuki did notice one thing though. Ichigo was quite strong for someone his age. He was even taller than her and everyone in the class except for that Sado guy. She had doubts when he single handedly struck the thugs down but today's event diminished her doubts and made her certain about the fact that Ichigo was indeed stronger than her and his peers. She sighed knowing that she won't be able to stand by his side as his equal anymore.

Just as the two reached the Kurosaki reseidence, Tatsuki yet again had to bash the matriarch's skull as soon as the two reached the door to the house.

"Good… job my… fourth dau…ghter." The man said before he passed out.

"When will he stop?!" Tatsuki said as she followed Orihime into her and Ichigo's room.

* * *

"Okay speak up Yoruichi-nee. Why are you here?" Ichigo asked as the two headed towards Kisuke's shop with Yoruichi still hanging onto him. The people passing by them gave the two weird looks but they ignored it.

Yoruichi pouted, "Oh come on Ichi-chan! Why do you think that every time I come to pick you up something's wrong?" She received a dry look from him and gave up. "Fine! Someone's here to meet you. He and bunch of others specialize in hollowfication. So they could help you train in your hollowfied form."

"Another bunch of exiles?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow to which Yoruichi nodded. By now the two have arrived at the shop and Ichigo was about to knock on the door just in time for the shopkeeper to open the door hiding his face with the ridiculous fan.

"My my, Yoruichi-san. Still enjoying your ride it seems." Kisuke said in a suggestive manner.

"That sounds so wrong." Ichigo said.

"Yet so right." Yoruichi ended for him as the trio entered the shop. Ichigo entered the shop and went to the living room where he found an unknown blonde man lying on his side twirling a newsboy cap while looking outside.

The man turned his head to see the duo and grinned widely showing his teeth. "Never took you for a cradle robber Yoruichi." He said.

"Well this berry over here is irresistibly cute. And I love cute things." Yoruichi said cheerfully grinning widely.

"Don't talk like I'm not here. And who's this piano-face?" Ichigo said irritably. Silence fell over the room which was broken by Yoruichi howling with laughter while said piano-face person's left eye twitched.

"Oh that's rich!" Yoruichi said still laughing. When she laughed she accidentally fell off of Ichigo and fell to the ground rolling and still kept on laughing. "Oh my sides hurt!"

Ichigo rolled his shoulders and arched his back and sighed when he heard the popping sounds.

"Haha keep laughing Yoruichi." The man dryly said rolling his eyes at her. "And kid, my name is Hirako Shinji, not 'piano-face'." he said as he donned a hollow mask in order to intimidate Ichigo only to get a dry look in return.

"And I'm not a kid. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo said scowling. "And what's the mask for? Can't you fully hollowfy?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes and said, "If I hollowfy, my body gets taken over by my inner hollow. So no I can't. This mask allows me to-"

"Suppress your hollow and tap into its powers." Ichigo concluded crossing his arms. By this point Yoruichi had stopped laughing and was joined by Kisuke as well who was interested in seeing how their meeting goes. "So what's your story? How'd you get exiled and _why _do you have a inner hollow?"

Shinji sat up and looked at Kisuke. "The kid is smarter than he looks. So... should I?" Getting a nod he started to explain his story of exile and the others with him. Ichigo intently listened to the whole story and asked some questions in return.

When Shinji was done with his story, he again looked outside. Silence fell over the room which was broken by Ichigo. "So when do we start?"

Shinji looked at him and said, "Show me your mask."

"My hollow powers aren't stored in a mask." Ichigo said as a small void opened up beside him from which a sword hilt was sticking out.

"My powers are stored in a zanpakuto and I hollowfy with the release command. Why don't I show you in the basement?" He said completely pulling out the sheathed zanpakuto.

Shinji looked at the other two occupants in the room and got a nod from the two. He picked up his own zanpakuto from behind him and got up. "Let's see then."

* * *

Shinji was impressed. Not only was the kid different from him and the others, he could also completely hollowfy and stay in control.

His sealed zanpakuto was a stark white daito with a blue manji guard. The hilt had white wrappings and the diamonds were blue along with the chain dangling from the butt-end. The sheath itself was blue as well.

The transformation was another thing. The release command- **"Obliterate, Zangetsu"**. In an explosion of white and red reiatsu Ichigo transformed into a giant hybrid of a lizard and human. His hair lengthened down to his waist. His mask was fearsome with a feral grin and red markings on the left side while a single black line was on the right. The hollow hole was on the middle of his chest from which red tinted black tribal markings ran along his upper body connecting with the lone stripe on the right side of the mask.

Strange thing was that, the hollow was properly clothed. A white sleeveless coat with black markings in the end with a white undershirt. The hollowfied Ichigo wore a white baggy hakama which narrowed down below the calf to the ankles with thin and long black vertical kites. It didn't have any footwear and had clawed feet with black tipped red talons. His clawed fingers halfway became blades which were colored red with black tips.

In his hand was a massive khyber knife. It was pure white with a small portion in the middle being black with a black cylindrical hilt which had a red chain dangling from the buttend.

**"I haven't completed this form yet. From what Zangetsu said, I'm currently in the third stage. The next stage would complete the form completely." **Hollow Ichigo said bringing Shinji out of his reverie.

'He haven't completed this form yet?! This is the same as a captain's bankai!' Shinji thought with wide eyes.

**"You ready? Cause I am!" **Hichigo said as he vanished with a static sound and appeared directly above Shinji bringing his massive knife down completely intending to cleave him in half.

Shinji immediately flashed out of the way and saw the damage that swing did. The ground cracked and a crater was formed. 'I'd have been dead if I tried blocking the attack!' He thought and summoned his pharaoh type hollow mask. He went for the attack and tried cutting Hichigo.

His eyes widened under the mask when sparks flew as soon as his sword cut through the clothing.

The feral grin on the mask widened. **"Try blocking this." **Hichigo said as gathered reiatsu into the blade and swung at his opponent. **"Getsuga Tensho!" **He roared as he sent a massive red highlighted white energy arc st Shinji.

"No way in hell am I blocking that!" Shinji said as he flashed out of the way only to be hit by a nameless Getsuga Tensho on the chest shattering his mask. Though by some luck he was able to create a Danku shield which of course was blasted into pieces. The attack left him panting and bleeding at some places while there were some burn marks on his body.

Ichigo quickly got out of his Resurreccion and rushed to Shinji and started applying healing kido to stop the bleeding. Kisuke called Tessai who immediately came down and started applying kido to heal the burn marks as he thanked Ichigo and complimented on his progress.

"So… what did you decide Hirako-san?" Kisuke said hiding his grin under the fan.

Shinji coughed a bit and said, "I'll come back again in two days and tell you." When he was healed well enough, he stood up and looked at himself. "You did quite a number on me kid." He said as he nodded in approval at Ichigo. Then he climbed the ladder and flashed back to wherever he was hiding with the others.

"That was impressive Ichi-chan. Shinji is a captain and yet you gave him a run for his money." Yoruichi said as she picked him up and headed towards the hot spring eager to take a dip with the berry.

"He didn't use his shikai though." Ichigo said as he simply let her carry him to the hot spring gotten used to her tendencies whenever he sweats.

"Hmm. Well, you didn't give him the chance to release it and even still he was quite good in zanjutsu compared to the others and what class was your hollow form? A Vasto lorde?"

"No, that was my adjuchas form and the second release is my Vasto lorde form."

Yoruichi nearly dropped him in shock. If that form was his adjuchas then she feared what his Vasto Lorde form would be.

* * *

Shinji stood in front of the warehouse in his somewhat healed state and knocked on the barrier. A gap the size of a door opened up followed by a sandal which hit him straight in the face with a loud smack.

He simply threw it back at his assailant and went straight to the giant man in green and immediately asked to heal him more. It's not like he didn't trust Tessai. Hachi was an even better healer than him despite being the vice-commander of the Kido Corps back then.

"What the hell happened to ya baldy?!" A blonde pigtailed girl who threw the sandal at him asked.

Shinji scowled at her and said, "I got owned by a kid." Silence followed which was then broken by everyone laughing at him.

"Seriously? A kid? _You _got owned by a _kid_?" Lisa asked looking up from her magazine.

"The kid can _hollowfy_ and _stay _in control. He didn't need a mask." That shut them up.

"Tell us everything." Kensei said seriously.

It took nearly half an hour to explain everything that happened back at the shop and there was laughing involved when he said he was called 'piano-face'.

"Is this kid the one you went to check up on Shinji?" Rose asked to which said person nodded.

"Well the on what are you waiting for? Bring the kid tomorrow and we'll see how he fares against us." Kensei said to which Shinji snickered. "What?"

"You'll see what happens when you fight him." That was all he said before he went to take a bath and nap.

* * *

Ichigo groaned when he saw Yoruichi again at his school gate waving at him. He simply sighed and walked up to her and like yesterday she again latched onto him and took him towards the shop where he met up with Shinji again.

When Shinji got a raised eyebrow from Ichigo he said walking up to him, "The gang wants to see what you're made of. You comin'?" He ended with a challenging smirk and snickered when he saw Yoruichi 'riding' him again. "You seem to enjoy riding him Yoruichi. Cradle robber much?"

Yoruichi rubbed her cheeks with Ichigo's and said, "You'd have understood if you were a girl. Now let's go I wanna see as well."

"The kid still hasn't ans-"

"Let's go." Ichigo said scowling which turned to a pained expression soon. "Ow! Let go!"

"Only if you drop the scowl!" Yoruichi reprimanded.

"Fine! There! Happy?" Ichigo replied mock grinning at her. She nodded and he reverted to his impassive expression. "What are you waiting for? Lead the way piano-face!"

Shinji growled about disrespectful brats and told them to follow him as he walked away. He smirked when he imagined how Ichigo would squash the others, specially Hiyori.

* * *

It took nearly an hour to reach the warehouse and Yoruichi had hopped off of him and mock dusted her clothes and straightened them to which Ichigo simply rolled his eyes but said nothing. He had already gotten used to her exhibitionism and perverted antics to tease him.

Shinji knocked on the invisible barrier which glowed yellow and opened in the size of a door followed by a sandal. This time Shinji was prepared and ducked only for said sandal to hit Ichigo straight in he face with a loud smack sound causing both Yoruichi and Shinji to double over in laughter.

"About damn time you came you brat!" Came an irritated voice. The owner of the voice was a bit shorter than Ichigo with blonde spiky pigtails and a track suit with a zanpakuto on her back. "Listen up baldy! The name is Hiyori. A Visored. Got it?!" Then she extended her hand and said, "Gimme back my sandal."

Ichigo simply looked at Shinji who pointed his finger at the seemingly unaware girl signifying that it was her who threw the sandal at him.

A tick mark appeared on Ichigo's temple who gave a forced smile and threw the sandal at her face with twice the strength she used. The sandal hit her with a louder smack sound sending her flying deep inside the warehouse.

Shinji snickered and thought, 'With these two around, things will be much funnier.' He then lead the two into the warehouse and introduced Ichigo to the others. Hiyori on the other hand had passed out because of the force of the hit.

"So you're the kid who clocked Shinji?" Kensei asked as he walked towards him. "Muguruma Kensei. Think you can go toe to toe with me in Hakuda? In your hollowfied form of course."

Ichigo smirked and said, "Nah. I _know _I can. Where should we fight?" He said as he pulled out Zangetsu from the small dimensional gap on his left.

Telling Ichigo to follow him, he asked Hacchi to form a strong barrier for them. Apparently they had a similar training basement like that of Kisuke's.

Both of them took their respective stances. Ichigo held his zanpakuto in a reverse grip diagonally to the ground while Kensei held his combat knife like zanpakuto in a reverse horizontal grip. Together they said, **"Obliterate, Zangetsu!/ Bankai! Tekken Tachikaze!"**

Ichigo appeared in his hollowfied form with the giant khyber knife in his right hand and Kensei appeared in his own form, Tachikaze transformed from a single combat knife into a pair of large knuckle blades which Kensei held in each hand. Both blades have a curved silver edge, which tapers off to an outward point on either side. Segmented purple bands wrapped around the entirety of his arms, much like armor, while a thicker purple band arched behind him, over his head, with its ends protruding from under his shoulders.

"So, wanna do it pure hakuda?" Kensei asked not expecting a reply from the hollowfied Ichigo.

Hichigo opened his maws and let out a breath. **"Sure... why not?" **He spoke in his distorted voice shocking Kensei as he dug his zanpakuto in the ground beside him. The feral grin on the mask changed to something similar to a smirk. **"What? Didn't expect me to stay in control did you?"**

Kensei shook his head and took his stance. "Show me what Yoruichi has been teaching you all this time." He charged at Hichigo as he finished saying that.

**"Let's do this." **Hichigo said as he charged at the incoming Kensei.

Both of them struck each other with a punch. Each hitting the other's fist getting into a stalemate. Kensei then cocked his left hand back and made a fist before throwing it at Hichigo who simply answered in the same way. They kept on exchanging blows shaking the whole compound.

While Hichigo and Kensei were exchanging blows, the spectators were having their own discussion about the fight.

"The kid's hollowfied form is quite powerful. To be able exchange blows with Kensei in his bankai is no easy feat." Love said.

"If you look at the fight carefully though, it's easy to tell that Ichigo has the upper hand." Lisa said.

"How so?" Rose asked.

"Ichigo is 13, is he not?" Lisa asked to which Yoruichi nodded. "Hmm. You see, Ichigo in his hollowfied form is far more stronger than a captain. And if you see carefully, Ichigo is holding back."

"Correct. The kid could've pounded Kensei by wrapping him with his tail but he didn't." This time Shinji said. "A swing of his zanpakuto is enough to shake your whole body up."

"What the hell is that thing?!" Hiyori yelled as she stood beside Shinji.

"Good Morning." Shinji said sarcastically only to get familiar with the ground.

"Shut up baldy! Is that the brat?!" Hiyori said to which everyone nodded. "Good! Then I'll join in the fray as well!" She said as she raced at Hichigo with her zanpakuto released, a large cleaver with a serrated saw-like blade and wore her mask.

If it was any other time they wouldve stopped her but they wanted to see how strong Ichigo was.

Noticing Hiyori rapidly approaching him, he charged black sparkling energy on his tail and formed an inverse triangle with three beaks protruding from each point. **"Bakudo#30: Shitotsu Sansen." **He said as he released the three beaks at Hiyori pinning her to a nearby mountain.

"He can use kido in that form?!" Shinji asked surprised.

"Hacchi can do that as well can't he?" Yoruichi asked to which Shinji shook his head.

"I can only boost my power with the mask but my kido doesn't change like his." Hacchi said. "Shitotsu Sansen is yellow in color while his is black. There's a difference."

**"Oi baldy! Release me! How the hell did you even use kido in that form?!" **Hiyori asked from her pinned position. Apparently she can't break it no matter what.

**"Ain't happening snaggletooth. You were my first experimental victim of hollowfied kido." **Hichigo said as he returned back to exchanging blows with Kensei.

"You're good! To be able to keep up with me, is no easy matter." Kensei said as he dodged a punch and retaliated with his own. "I was surprised to see you clothed properly in that form, not to mention I really expected you to lose control."

**"Well thank you for the compliment."** Hichigo said as he hit Kensei straight on the chest using his tail. He sonidoed behind Kensei and punched him again eventually sending him crashing into Hiyori knocking her out along with him. **"And that's two for me." **Hichigo said as he straightened up still keeping the transformation and just like he thought, he was attacked again.

**"Mashiro Drop Kick!" **A masked Mashiro said as she attempted a drop kick on Hichigo.

Hichigo simply grabbed her by her feet and threw her at the knocked out Kensei and Hiyori making the others laugh.

**"Who's next?" **Hichigo asked as he looked back at the crowd. They all shook their heads in denial and came out of his transformation, his khyber knife returning back to its sealed state. "How was it?" He asked as he inserted the zanpakuto back into the void on his left.

"That was splendid Ichigo-kun. But how did you achieve this transformation?" Rose asked.

"I was born with my hollow and he's quite overprotective. Though I had to defeat him when he was in this state to achieve this transformation." Ichigo said as he lied down on Yoruichi's awaiting lap. Even if he was taller than his peers, he was still shorter than her.

Seeing Yoruichi's and Ichigo's interaction, Lisa raised an eyebrow and asked, "When did you become a cradle robber Yoruichi-san?"

Yoruichi smirked and asked, "Oho? Are you jealous Lisa?" All she got was a dry look from said assumed jealous person.

"No. Considering how old you are and the age difference between you two makes it all the more strange to me." Lisa said with her usual deadpan expression causing others to laugh at Yoruichi's dumbstruck look. Even Ichigo laughed only to get a chop on his head and a glare from said old woman.

"Oh shut up. I'm still young. I'm past 250 years only. So that still makes me young." Dead silence followed by her statement which was broken with Shinji and Hiyori's combined laughter while the others scooted backwards to avoid said 'young' woman's wrath.


	4. Squad Zero

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Zangetsu"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

Ever since his display of power in his transformed state, he had been visiting the Visoreds regularly and trained with them. Having learnt all of the abilities a hollow has, he ended up teaching them how to do the same. Since they weren't born with a hollow inside them, they could only tap into their artificial hollow's power and use them as a boost for a limited amount of time. Even so, he had the pleasure of teaching them everything about the powers of a hollow.

A few months of constant training against them had completed his hollowfied form. Now, he had two hollow masks which were missing their lower jaw as shoulder pads. The hollow masks each had a horn protruding from the center of their forehead and their eyes were painted red. His main mask now had two vertical black lines on both sides the mask which later joined with the tribal markings on his chest. His long orange hair shortened a little to his mid back and some of it fell over his forehead. The claws on his hand extended a bit more. His clawed feet also now had blades but they were at least a quarter the size of the ones on his hands. The blades were red with black tips. His tail now ended in a drill like shape which was red in color with black tip.

His clothes still remained the same however, there was a bit change to his zanpakuto. The base of the sword was now slanted and the blade continued with a section jutting out acting as a guard with a chain that looped over the top and attached itself right before the point of the blade.

His cero and bala were now more powerful and dense doing twice the damage it did before completion. Zangetsu said that he was proud of him but he wasn't prepared yet to unlock the second release or Segunda Etapa as he called it since it had to be achieved the same way as bankai. Ichigo readily agreed with him. He needed to get more familiar with the completed form after all.

After a few more months of training in that form, he had a proper grasp over how to utilize its power to the max. Soon after that he got into the final year of his middle school.

A month after becoming 14, he had a sudden growth spurt which now made him as tall as up to the chin of Yoruichi to which she pouted at the cruelty of the world taking away his cuteness. He now had a more muscular figure that attracted attention of both young and old women alike.

He had far more progressed in kido performing hado and bakudo upto 80s with out incantation. He had learnt the barriers and seals along with kaido from Hacchi.

Today was a free day for him. A day in which he'd do nothing spiritual world related. Relaxing and studying. That's what he was doing until Karin came to his room holding a letter. Orihime had gone for a sleepover at Tatsuki's so he was alone in his room.

"Ichi-nii, a letter has come in your name." She said in her usual bored tone as she handed it over to him and left giving him privacy.

Ichigo was confused. Who'd sent him a letter? And why? When he saw the sender, he nearly screamed. _Squad Zero_ was what written there. He took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down. He knew about squad zero or more specifically what Kisuke had told him about them as his previous captain is now a Squad Zero officer.

He shakily opened the letter and read the contents in it.

"_Kurosaki Ichigo,_

_It has come to our attention that you are aware of the impending doom that is Yhwach. We, the officers of Squad Zero or rather the Royal Guard have been tasked by the Soul King himself to offer you the chance of special training for one to two years. We won't force you to come. It's a decision you'll make and whatever you choose, we'll respect it. We're giving you a week to respond. Should you accept our invitation, push a bit of your reiatsu into the insignia at the end of this letter and a special Senkaimon will open up which would lead you to the Royal Realm where we'll be waiting for your arrival._

_Best regards,_

_Squad Zero"_

Ichigo was shocked. A bit pissed that he was kept an eye on by people he didn't know. But he thought about the pros and cons of this training. He'd certainly be trained by those who were much skilled and stronger than his current mentors and sparring partners together.

He hadn't achieved Bankai and Segunda Etapa. Maybe he could achieve them there? He'll have to talk about it to his family and mentors. He immediately stood up and met his father at the clinic and showed him he letter. His father nearly died when he saw the sender. He read the letter with wide eyes and calmed down after he was finished reading it.

"What do you think I should do?" Ichigo asked feeling a bit lost.

Isshin looked at him and frowned. "What do _you _want to do?" He asked with a serious face.

Ichigo contemplated on what to do and took a deep breath. "I want to go, but…" he trailed off glancing at the kitchen where his twin sisters were.

"But you don't want to leave them?" Isshin asked to which Ichigo nodded. Isshin sighed and stood up. "Don't worry about them. Besides, they know what you're doing, so don't stress yourself."

"But what about my school?" Ichigo asked frowning.

"I'll have Orihime keep the notes for you and besides, the training is only for two years max." Isshin said dismissively. "But you better inform Kisuke about this. Maybe consult with him about it…?"

Ichigo nodded before turning towards the exit. "I'll be going to see him now then." He then outstretched his hand with his palm facing upward silently asking for the letter. His father handed him the letter and waved at him as he walked away.

* * *

A short walk later Ichigo arrived at the shop and knocked. The door slid open to reveal the 'humble shopkeeper' with his signature hat on and the fan covering his lower face.

"My my. What brings you here Kurosaki-san? Weren't you supposed to be resting?" Kisuke said in the same jovial manner. His smile dropped and closed his fan at the serious expression on the teenager's face. He turned and asked the teen to follow him deeper into the shop.

On the way, Ichigo had asked Tessai to come and bring Yoruichi as well. He nodded and said that he'd send her first and then come with tea.

Kisuke had many scenarios running through his head. What was the cause of his student's current predicament? He led the teen into the living room and sat opposite to him. A moment later a black cat appeared and made itself comfortable in Ichigo's lap. Tessai soon arrived with tea and sat down a bit behind Kisuke.

"So… what's the matter?" Kisuke asked.

Instead of answering, Ichigo simply placed the letter on the table and pushed it towards Kisuke.

As soon as said person's eyes landed on the letter, he jumped a bit in his seated position and looked at Ichigo with wide eyes. By that time, he had dropped his fan forgetting to hide his surprise to which Ichigo gave him a smirk. Seeing the wordless conversation, the cat reluctantly got off its makeshift bed and looked at the letter having the same reaction.

It looked at Ichigo and transformed to reveal a very naked Yoruichi who immediately latched onto him and started wailing with tears pouring out of her eyes like river. "NOOOOO! THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE MY ICHI-CHAN AWAY FROM ME AND PET HIM THEMSELVES! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! UWA!"

Ichigo didn't miss the jab though. "I'm not a pet, Yoruichi-nee. You're the one who's closer to a pet." He growled out as the woman continued to wail. "Besides, I'll be gone for two years at best."

"NOOOOO! WHAT IF THEY WANT TO KEEP YOU?! AT LEAST LET ME TAKE YOUR OH SO SWEET INNOCENCE!"

"So that's why you were crying?!" Ichigo asked incredulously.

"Yep!" She replied happily all traces of her 'tears' and sadness gone. Their play was put to a halt when a cough was heard. They turned to look at an amused Kisuke.

"Well well well! Someone's eager to get jumped on!" He jokes before turning serious. "What are you going to do?"

Ichigo took a sip of his tea and said, "That's the reason I came here. I haven't decided and thought it'd be better to discuss about this with you guys since you were and are my mentors. What do you think I should do?"

"NOOOOO! DON'T LEA-"

_Thwack!_

"WILL YOU CUT IT OUT?! I'M TRYING TO BE SERIOUS HERE!" Ichigo said hitting Yoruichi on the head.

"Ok ok sheesh. You're such a spoilsport. But… this is something you're going to decide."

"I agree. We've taught you most of the things except for the highest level kidos. And training under them isn't a bad idea." Kisuke said continuing where Yoruichi left off.

Ichigo frowned. On one hand he wanted to go and on the other he ddin't because of his family. If he was gone, then who'd look after the twins? His father could defend them and he didn't know how his departure would affect them. "What will I tell the others?" He asked meaning about Tatsuki who'd blow a fuse looking for him for his sudden disappearance.

"Well… tell them the military approached you for your reputation among the thugs. They saw your potential and wanted to recruit you." Kisuke said with a shrug.

"Yeah. The Gotei 13 is similar to this country's military, so it won't be a problem. Besides, they are going to train you for two years at best. After that…" Yoruichi paused and then whispered into his ears, "… you're mine." She grinned widely at Ichigo's red face before transforming back to a cat.

"Quite the excuse you got there... but wouldn't paperwork be needed to be done?"

"Leave those to me!" Kisuke said excitedly.

Ichigo sighed at his antics and stood up. He smiled and thanked them before leaving with the letter.

* * *

When he broke news to his family, the twins or rather Yuzu started crying about him leaving but after a bit of persuasion and promise of dropping by, she calmed down. Karin being the more spiritually aware one understood his need of getting stronger, so she didn't say anything and just wished him good luck.

* * *

Two days later, he was prepared to go. Before he left, he had told Yuzu and Karin to go to Tessai and learn kido so that they can defend themselves while he was gone. It wasn't like he didn't trust their father, it's more because they would sooner or later attract the attention of hollows and their father can't always be there for them. His father with a heavy heart agreed on the matter and wished him luck.

Orihime knew about the truth and was given the task of telling the others the reason of his absence being him training with the military. She didn't want Tatsuki to be left out of this but he again made his point across by telling her that Tatsuki would want to learn as well eventually leading to an accident which he _would not _take the responsibility of. Orihime reluctantly nodded and told him she'd keep this a secret as it was the least she could do for him and ended up getting chopped on the head.

Everyone, the ones in the shop, his family and the Visoreds were there to see him off at the Senkaimon leading to the royal realm to begin his training.

"See you in two years!" He said as he entered the senkaimon and headed for the royal realm.

After a few moments Shinji spoke up, "The kid's gonna return a hell lot stronger won't he?"

"Yup."

* * *

"Oh cap'n Aizen!" A silver haired man greeted as he walked up to said captain.

"Gin", the bespectacled man nodded in greeting before going over some reports made by Tosen. At this point he always had the dark skinned man prepare his paperwork.

"What're you up to?"

"Going over some various information on our experiments, do you have any news Gin?"

"Your pet project has been kidnapped by a shadow." Gin finished with his ever growing grin on his face.

"Explain." Aizen commanded.

"Well... I was _stalking _your pet project when he left school and was on his way home and out of nowhere his shadow rose and swallowed him up." Silence followed by his report which was broken by a sigh.

"So _he _made the first move?" Aizen said as he massaged his temples.

"What will you do now captain Aizen?" Tosen asked placing a cup of tea before said captain.

"We'll improvise."

* * *

"Isshin."

"Yeah?"

Kisuke sighed before continuing. "With Ichigo gone, _he _might target the twins. What will you do?"

"For now, train them in kido. Give them a zanpakuto _only_ if their spirits try to talk to them or something similar to that of Ichigo happens." Isshin said after a while of thinking surprising the others.

Tessai and Hacchi nodded. Tessai then said, "Send them here after school. The two of us will train them."

"Thank you."

"Hey, maybe I could train them in using… what was that again the Quincy call?" Yoruichi said.

"Hirenkyaku." Kisuke answered.

"Yes that and Hakuda. How about it Isshin?"

"I'd like that." The father of four said as he left.

* * *

Ichigo stepped out of the senkaimon to see five figures awaiting him.

The bald man in middle spoke up. "Welcome to the Soul Palace _Shiba _Kurosaki Ichigo. I am Hyousube Ichibe 'Monk Who Calls the Real Name' and leader of Squad Zero or the Royal Guard." The man ended with a grin. He appeared to be a large and broad individual with a bald head, red eyes, bushy eyebrows and a long black beard. He wore the standard shinigami uniform beneath a white, long-sleeved haori decorated with the Royal Guard's emblem. The top of his uniform was open enough to expose his hairy chest. He also wore a large set of red prayer beads around his neck and a pair of single-toothed tengu geta.

The one to his immediate right said, "I'm Tenjiro Kirinji 'Hot Spring Demon'." The man appeared to be lean-built and very tall man with black hair arranged into an outlandishly large pompadour, or "regent" hairstyle, with tapered sideburns. He frequently chewed upon a small stick. Instead of the standard shinigami uniform, he wore a waist-length white jacket that left most of his chest exposed but still had the Royal Guard emblem on its back, as well as the alternating circle and diamond pattern of a captain's haori along the bottom. His attire was completed by a black hakama, a large yellow sash around his waist and a pair of sandals

The one after him said, "I'm Hikifune Kirio 'Ruler of Grain'." She appeared to be a plump, purple haired lady with styled swirl-shaped markings on her cheeks and black lips. She has a large silver adornment in her hair and wears the standard shinigami uniform beneath a white, long-sleeved haori decorated with the Royal Guard's emblem.

The one on Ichibe's immediate left said, "I'm Senjumaru Shurata 'Great Weave Guard'." She appeared to be a slender and very youthful woman with fair skin and long, black hair that was adorned at the back by a large golden ornament in the shape of a crescent moon with numerous small lines radiating outwards. She wore the standard shinigami uniform beneath a white long-sleeved haori, over which she donned a further white robe fastened at the front near the center of her chest. She also wore a pair of extremely thick-soled okobo

The last one exclaimed, "Yo! I'm Oetsu Nimaiya. 'God of the Sword'. I look forward to forging your zanpakuto!" He appeared to be a dark-skinned man with thick, black hair that was shaven and dyed green on the sides of his head. He wore a variation of the shinigami shihakusho, featuring instead a green undergarment, and a shortened hakama that exposed his lower legs. Worn over this was a white, sleeveless puffer jacket that had the Royal Guard emblem on its back, as well as the alternating circle and diamond pattern of a captain's haori along the bottom. His attire was completed by gold-framed sunglasses with blue lenses, and a pair of green slippers that were gold trimmed and had a shoe-like appearance

Ichigo dumbly nodded and bowed in respect. "Hello. Pleased to meet you. When are we beginning?" Ichigo was feeling awkward. These guys are on a completely different level than his former mentors, and if he is to become stronger, then he'd need their guidance.

The five exchanged looks among them and then Shutara said, "No need to be polite. Speak freely and don't hesitate." She received a nod and then turned to Ichibe who took the lead.

"Before we begin you're training, the Soul King wishes to speak with you. Follow me." He said and walked off towards the Greater Soul Palace where the Soul King resided. As they were about to walk, a group of men arrived and bowed before the two. "Ah, you'll be living with Shutara, so hand over your belongings to her men." With a hesitant nod, Ichigo did as instructed and followed the other man.

After a few moments, the two reached the gates which were opened by Ichibe and Ichigo as indicated walked in and looked back at him with a questioning gaze. "I cannot be present during your meeting with the Soul King. Do not worry and be formal with him."

Ichigo slightly nodded and walked in deeper into the place. After a minute he arrived at the throne room and he was shocked to see the condition of the Soul King. He was limbless encased in crystal and had galaxy like eyes. The Soul King looked at him and nodded.

"_Do not fret Young Ichigo. Make yourself comfortable." _As soon as he said that, a luxurious single person couch appeared out of nowhere waiting to be sat upon.

Ichigo took a few calming breaths and sat on the couch which then pulled him closer to the king. "Okay… so aside my training we were supposed to talk about…"

"_The return of Yhwach. Surely you're aware of the prophecy about him?" _The Soul King asked to which Ichigo nodded. _"Good. Now you see…"_

* * *

The meeting had gone for two hours and when Ichigo pushed open the doors looking tired, he came upon Tenjiro.

"You look like shit kid. Follow me." Tenjiro said and walked off with Ichigo closely behind.

"We're starting training now?" Ichigo asked tiredly rolling his shoulders.

"No. First I'll dunk you in my springs and then send you to Hikifune. You'll eat there and then you'll be sent to the crazy Nimaiya. After that you'll turn in for the night at Shutara's and the next morning you'll once again eat at Hikifune's. After that, your Shinigami arts and the other ones will be refined. Your training doesn't begin today."

"But everyday counts!" Ichigo protested to which he got a bored look from Kenjiro.

"Not my fault. The king himself doesn't want you to start training today. So we're beginning tomorrow." Kenjiro said.

"Fine. So, what does your hot springs do?"

Tenjiro glanced at him and thought, 'So he already knows about the one of Kisuke Urahara? Figures.' "Why don't ya check it out yourself?" He finished with a smirk as the two stood on a platform.

"Sure…" Ichigo said unsure of the situation as he was launched along with Tenjiro to his palace where the springs were stationed.

* * *

After dipping in the 'springs', Ichigo was as promised sent to Kirio Hikifune's palace where he ate to his heart's content and was even shocked to know about the woman's before and after cooking condition. Just as he stood on the platform that'd send him to Oetsu Nimaiya's palace, he was told about his increase in reiryoku which he in fact had noticed.

When he arrived at the palace of Oetsu Nimaiya, he was impressed with all the flashiness it had. He even shocked the man by noting that all of the 'women' there had the exact same reiatsu. Oetsu was crying rivers of happiness to see that the kid before him was able to determine what was what.

The man's ramblings were cut off by a girl _very_ similar to Hiyori in the name of 'Mera-chan' as the man had called her. She then pulled him towards a rather 'impressive' hut where he was told to pass through the gate. Just as he stepped in, he fell crashing down to ground many feet below the door.

He was about to demand an explanation for the act but stopped in his tracks when he heard growls behind him. He turned around and saw multiple undefined men surrounding him. He then noted that they felt blank to which he was greeted to the sound of hands clapping.

"Well Ichi-chan, now that you've figured out that they are asauchis, your task will be to find your ones among the hundreds of them. Good luck!"

Ichigo just raised an eyebrow at the man and crossed his hands as he stared down at the asauchis. He released his reiatsu on them causing them to fall flat on the ground and heard cracking sounds from three different places. He immediately rushed and pulled those three from the horde and gently laid them before him. He reigned in his reiatsu allowing the three and the other asauchis behind them to bow down to him in three lines.

First line had 32 asauchis with the second having 33 and the last had 35. Then all asauchis in the three lines merged and leaving only three behind still bowing down to Ichigo.

Nimaiya on the other hand… well his brain short circuited at the view. Identifying an individual's zanpakuto by releasing their full reiatsu and picking them up judging from the cracks on the skin? Not only that, but they even bowed down to him?! All of them merged into three and bowed down before the child?! He knew that Ichigo had three zanpakuto spirits, but to think something like this would happen… He was brought out of his reverie when he heard Ichigo's voice.

"Oi! Mohawk-san! What now? I've found them but they don't look like I know they do!"

'Mohawk-san?!' Oetsu thought and then shook his head. "Touch each of them and push a little pit of your reiryoku into them."

Ichigo nodded and stood before the one on the left and placed his hand on its head and pushed a bit of his reiryoku. It was covered in white ice sculpture shocking Ichigo because he was sure he was a fire wielder. The ice sculpture shattered to reveal…

"Ao…" Ichigo breathed out surprised to see her smiling cheekily at him teen before standing a bit behind him on the left.

He repeated the same thing with the one in the centre and this time, it was covered in reddish-orange fire with blue tints. The fire dispersed to reveal…

"Aka-nee." He greeted at the gently smiling woman who hugged him before standing beside her counterpart.

He then repeated the same with the last and was thrown off balance at the burst of red tinted white reiatsu which then formed a solid sphere with red wisps of energy swirling around it. It then cracked to reveal…

"Shiro-nii." Ichigo greeted the masked man with a smirk before punching him and dodging the retaliation punch.

_**"Quite the greeting you got there kingy. The punch didn't hurt. Getting soft are we?" **_He jokingly said getting a smirk in return which then turned into a frown as he looked at the female duo.

Aka was the same but Ao... she now had long hair colored a mix of black, blue, and white with two wavy black horizontal lines along one side of her head. Her eyes are large and amber, with multiple rings inside them. She wore a scarf with vertical zigzag stripes and a furisode with a snowflake pattern along the hem and the bottom of the sleeves. **[1]**

"What's the explanation for that ice and the flip in personality Ao?" He asked confused.

Ao frowned and sighed but before she could reply, Oetsu spoke up. "I can explain that. Get up here and follow me!" The man exclaimed as he walked away with Mera. He was soon joined by the other four. "You see, all this time, you've been using a half active zanpakuto."

"You mean to say…" Ichigo trailed off only to be continued by Oetsu.

"Correct! You're the first shinigami to wield a zanpakuto of two polar opposite elements. Ice and Fire. I can guarantee you that your Ice will be stronger than that of Hyourinmaru but your fire… while it is greater and more powerful than your pops' it will be weaker than that of Ryujin Zakka."

"That explains the short temper you used to have!" Ichigo notted looking at Ao who looked away with a blush but nodded nonetheless. "I guess beating me to death was one way to let lose of your frustrations huh? Sorry about that." He smiled apologetically at Ao.

'The kid sure is close to his zanpakuto spirits. He'll be a fearsome opponent in the future.' He thought and then widely smirked, 'A mere kid is going to take your title Yamamoto. Get ready for the storm named _Shiba Kurosaki Ichigo._'

"Well now what?" Ichigo asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We'll get down to forging them." The man said as he set up a slide and kicked Ichigo and three zanpakuto spirits into the deeper part of the palace and summoned his bodyguards to prepare the forge for him and tied his hair back while removing the sunglasses. "Mera-chan, do you remember how I forged _her_?" He asked as he lead the three spirits towards a group of girls were present along with Mera.

"You do know that _she _can't be sheathed in anything but that gel?" Mera asked to which she got a crazy grin.

"We'll be busy for a while my dear Mera-chan. As for you Ichigo-chan… I'll summon you when you'll be needed to put the final touch."

"I'll be needed for the final touch?" Ichigo asked confused.

"Your reiatsu signature is the final component. So… see you to tomorrow!"

He said before he suddenly launched Ichigo to Shutara's palace.

"So you've finally come?" Came Shutara's voice from behind him as he lied on the ground panting. 'That fool always does something like this.' She sighed before saying, "Come now young one. I need your measurements to make you a new wardrobe." She said as she walked away with Ichigo in tow.

'Why does everyone walk away when they're done talking to/commanding me?'

* * *

The next day Ichigo arrived at Oetsu's forging place and saw the man smirking at him. The man gave him three crystal spheres and said, "Use two for your shinigami zanpakuto while the other one for your hollow zanpakuto. Pour your reiatsu into them to the brim and give them to me."

Ichigo did as instructed and started pouring reiatsu into each. The first glowed reddish-orange with blue tints. Then an idea came to his head and he poured his Quincy reiatsu into it not without the consolation of his spirits. The now reddish-orange sphere had blue circuit patterns surrounding the sphere.

He repeated the same with the second one. It glowed blueish-white and at the end, the same but brighter circuit patterns appeared.

When he put his hollow reiatsu into the last one, it glowed white with red tints, however, the circuit patterns were black instead of blue. Ichigo asked why and spirits told him that it was due to hollow and Quincy reiatsu forcefully mixing.

With the task done, he handed the three spheres over to Oetsu who just raised an eyebrow and dropped the three in three different forge_. _And after that, explosions of reddish-orange, blueish-white and red-tinted white reiatsu occurred throwing all of them back.

When the force let up, Mera brought three identical hilts and handed it to Oetsu. Oetsu simply dipped them guard first and let them float. After a while he pulled them out and presented three glowing katanas in a line.

"The left and the middle ones are your shinigami zanpakuto amd the one on the right is your hollow zanpakuto. Now then let's see the changes shall we?" Oetsu got a confused look from Ichigo and sighed. "Grab them and put your own soul into them." He simply ordered.

Ichigo nodded and picked up the two shinigami zanpakuto and focused on them. The two katanas were covered in white flash of light before revealing themselves in their new appearance.

Both of them had guards that appeared to be five pointed cross inside a circle. The one on his left hand was blueish-white while the one on the right was reddish-orange.

The hilt of the one on the left had blue wrappings with white diamonds and a white tassel dangling on the buttend of the hilt. The hilt of the right one had red wrappings with orange diamonds and an orange tassel dangling off of it.

As for the blade, it was longer than a katana but shorter than a nodachi around 80 centimeters and had lesser curve as well. A hollowed-out portion was existent from the base of the blade to a few inches away from the tip. The blade like all others was silver but glinted blue and reddish-orange whenever light reflected off of its edges.

He observed the two with wonder in his eyes and the release commands in his mind. One for fire and the other for ice. Aka-nee was the one of fire while the newly shy Ao was ice.

"Good. Move onto the next one." Oetsu said as he handed Ichigo two sheaths blue and red. He stored 'Aka-nee' in the red whole 'Ao' was put in the blue one.

He then turned to the remaining single zanpakuto and grabbed it with the same process happening again.

The zanpakuto was now revealed to have a ocean-blue five pointed star in a circle guard. The hilt had white wrappings and the diamonds were blue with a blue chain of a length of a foot dangled. The blade was bone-white and straight with the same length as that of the other two. He was then handed a white sheath which had blue chains wrapped around it. When he sheathed the zanpakuto, the chains of the sheath and hilt linked together with a snap.

Ichigo then noticed that all three had the same guard and they looked exactly like a Quincy cross. Sensing his confusion, Juha said, **"The three zanpakutos now are a shinigami-Quincy and hollow-Quincy hybrids. You'll be able to use ****Blut ****to enhance your sharpness and offensive prowess or the defensive making it harder for the opponents to win a stalemate."** Ichigo nodded happy of such convenience.

"Well now, those are pretty great zanpakutos you got there and therefore go to Ichibe who will the give the name of their shikai and bankai." Oetsu said as he launched Ichigo up again now towards Ichibe's palace to properly start training as well as getting the names.

* * *

Ichigo in his flight to Ichibe's had a short conversation with his zanpakuto spirits. They said that there were slight changes barely noticeable but present nonetheless. He was excited to see their new form and raced to Ichibe as soon as he landed.

When he reached the man in question, he had given the zanpakutos to the man to name them. The man shook his head in amusement seeing how excited the teen was and got down to thinking of a proper name. When he was relayed information about the zanpakutos, he racked his brain and finally got down to name them.

"Done. Try releasing their shikai." Ichibe said as he handed over the three zanpakutos to Ichigo's hands.

He saw in amazement how Ichigo inserted the hollow zanpakuto into a void that appeared out of nowhere on his left. He shook his head at the enigma that is Shiba Kurosaki Ichigo.

Ichigo on the other hand stood in the centre of the dojo and held out his sealed zanpakutos. Right crossed over left in a reverse grip pointed downwards while the left was pointed upwards yet diagonally.

**"Ignite and Disintegrate. Turn white and Solidify. **_**Getsu no Ikari!**_**"[2] **With an explosion of fire, the blades glowed brightly and slowly started morphing and taking new shape. When the fire and light died, it revealed Ichigo holding two massive khyber knives nearly as big as him. Half of the blade was obsidian black while the other was white instead of silver. In the division of the two colors ran a thin and long hollowed-out portion near the back edge of the blade starting at the base of the blade to a few inches before the tip of the blade. From the hollowed-out portions, there were flames of reddish-orange licking across the dull surface covering the black part of the blade revealing little of said part. The most eye catching part were the barely visible yet glowing blue circuit patterns that ran throughout the whole blade horizontally and vertically crisscrossing over each other. The blade had a handle that was the length of Ichigo's forearm covered in white cloth that burned with blue flames not affecting Ichigo in the slightest. The grip between the base of the blade and handle had only little space for a single hand to be held in instead of two.

'So these are the changes you guys were talking about… and the circuit patterns are the Blut I suppose?' Ichigo asked to which he got a hum of affirmation from the spirits. 'But… this is the fire half… what about my ice half?' Ichigo asked to which he was shot dry looks from Ao and Aka. They sighed and pinched his soul at a way that gave him the command to switch elements.

**"Schalten."[3]** As he said that, the fire vanished replaced by ice. The heat was gone and now cold took its place. The flames licking the back surface of the blade were gone replaced with white ice stuck across the back edge of the blade starting from the hollowed-out portion. The circuit patterns were the same in color glowing dimly.

Ichibe on the other hand was impressed. When Ichigo released his zanpakuto, he tapped into the fire element first and the explosion followed by the release command completely scorched the wooden platform on the dojo along with several parts cracked and turned to dust. The heat was a lot. It was on par with Ryujin Jakka yet a far cry from Zanka no Tachi. And when the kid tapped into the ice element, the whole area's temperature dropped several degrees even more so than Hyourinmaru.

The zanpakuto was exactly worthy of the release phrase. _Ignite and Disintegrate _showed the part where fire exploded and _Turn white and Solidify _showed up at the drop in temperature and and white ice that covered the back edge of the blade.

It was truly a rare and special zanpakuto, one that will never show up again in the future nor did it in the past. Ichibe was looking forward to the Bankai even though he had an idea of what it'd end up as.

* * *

**[1]- Tsurara Oikawa from Nurarihyon no Mago**

**[2]- Moon's Wrath**

**[3]- Switch**


	5. Enter the Shinigami

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MIDGET!

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Shiro"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

Ichigo stepped out of the senkaimon into the familiar grounds of Kisuke's underground training basement. Casting out his senses, he noticed that nearly everyone in the town has fallen asleep. Well, Kisuke wasn't, so why not greet the man?

Ichigo's training surprisingly took only a year to complete. He had achieved Bankai and Segunda Etapa both and mastered them. He was now able to cast hado and bakudo up to 99 without incantation. Training under the Squad Zero lunatics, he stood on the same level as them. He was sure that he could best Yoruichi in a game of tag and outclass Kisuke in Zanjutsu.

Ichigo stealthily climbed the ladder up and peeked into the living room to see Kisuke absentmindedly petting Yoruichi while fanning himself all the while lying on his side. He grinned widely and with a loud sound he slammed open the slightly opened sliding door and yelled, "I'M BACK!"

He got his desired reaction of Kisuke jumping high colliding with the ceiling with Yoruichi in her cat form flying and hitting a wall far left of Ichigo. Living with the eccentric squad has changed him a bit as well. He picked up on a few habits of theirs and made them realize how eccentric the squad was.

Kisuke immediately spun with his zanpakuto out of the cane aiming at Ichigo's neck only to stop a mere inch from cutting the boy's head off of his shoulder. Kisuke sighed and fell limp on the floor on his back seeing as it wasn't an enemy but his very own protégée.

Yoruichi transformed and immediately latched herself to him completely forgetting his prank and squeezed him _hard. _Like usual, she latched herself to him for good with her limbs around his neck and waist with her melons pressed to his back.

"YOU'RE BACK!" She screamed and hugged him from her position. "Look at you! Grown up so manly! And your ass…" she trailed off as she got a feel of said ass causing Ichigo to yelp. Then she pouted, "But your cuteness is gone! Why?! Oh why did it have to go?! You were so cute back then, skin so soft and squishy! Smooth…" she continued on and on all the while drooling with a blush on her face. She felt hot and bothered and thus her hold became loose causing her to fall on her butt and yet she continued rambling.

While Yoruichi was having her fun, Kisuke took in Ichigo's new appearance. His hair was longer and tied into a ponytail at the neck. He wore a variation of the shinigami garb with its sleeves being marked with small diamonds and spheres of golden-yellow color. Single trim lines on each sleeve started from two spheres, one on top and other from bottom and joined together on the shoulder up to the collar. The hem of his hakama was marked with thin and long vertical kites that reached slightly above his calves. The obi was also golden-yellow. The most shocking addition was the haori. It was also a variation but a haori nonetheless. It had two shoulder pads colored black with golden scales and extended outwards to form an X above the chest before joining with the haori again at the hip. At the center point of the X, he noticed was his Quincy cross. The diamonds and spheres on the hem of the haori were royal purple and the sides of the haori were marked with three slim trim lines of royal purple.

"So you've been made a member of Squad Zero eh?" Kisuke asked prompting Yoruichi to start wailing as she latched herself to Ichigo again.

"NOOOOO! I KNEW THEY WOULD KEEP YOU FOR THEMSELVES! THOSE BASTARDS! I'LL KILL THEM!"

"Calm down! That's not it!" Ichigo said immediately stopping Yoruichi and snatching both of her and Kisuke's attention. "They aren't keeping me for themselves. And yes, I'm a member of that squad but my station will be Karakura Town."

"So… can I jump you now?" Yoruichi asked innocently only to be smirked in return.

"Only if you can beat me in tag tomorrow. Now I'll have to go home before everyone falls asleep. See you tomorrow _kitty-chan_". He said sending pleasant shivers down Yoruichi's spine while dropping her to the floor not so gently on her bum and was gone in a flash leaving a nearly solid afterimage.

Yoruichi stared wide eyed at the slowly fading afterimage of her love interest (not that he knew). She turned to Kisuke to see him watching the same thing but deep in thought with the hat shadowing his eyes and the fan covering his lower face. 'Shady bastard.' She thought with a scowl as she huffed and transformed into her cat form before proceeding to sleep.

'Heh… Yoruichi's dream will be squashed tomorrow hehehe~' Kisuke giggled creepily to himself excited to see Yoruichi's face at her defeat. 'God I'm starting to act like Mayuri.'

* * *

Ichigo in a single flash step stood before his home and sent a pulse of reiatsu to sense who was present. He sighed in relief when he didn't find Tatsuki because as far as he knew, she frequented his house a lot. He knocked on the door and was met by Yuzu who stood frozen in her place at the sight of her beloved big brother.

Ichigo spread out his arms and caught Yuzu as she cried out, "Ichi-nii!" She then proceeded the squeeze the life out of her brother not willing to let him go. Seeing as Yuzu won't release him he smiled and walked into the house to meet the shocked gazes of his family.

Karin stood up and stopped before him taking in his new form before punching him in the gut only to wince in slight pain. "Welcome home." She said before hugging him.

Ichigo noticed Karin's wince but he knew she was strong so he pretended not to see it and returned her hug. The trio was then joined by Orihime. They all heard a click sound followed after a flash of light. They released themselves and saw Isshin smiling at them with the camera in his hand. Ichigo briefly wondered when the man brought the camera but knowing him… he immediately dropped that line of thought.

The siblings released themselves from the group embrace with Yuzu reluctantly doing so.

Isshin noticing the special get up asked, "So an officer of Squad Zero huh?" He got a somewhat superior smirk from his son that caused him to feel inferior and thus got into a father-son all out brawl. The other three siblings watched the scene with a fond smile… well a scowl in Karin's case. The victor of the brawl as expected was Ichigo.

"I'll be stationed in Karakura Town until further notice." He said as he sat down on one of the chairs and watched his father pull his beaten and bruised body on a chair before slumping forward on the table.

"Good for you." Isshin said and then remembered something. "Do you plan on going to the Soul Society anytime soon?" He got a 'why' from Ichigo and proceeded, "Yoruichi told me that since my departure into the world of the living, the once proud Shiba clan has fallen from the noble ranks. So I'd like you to return it back to its former glory should you ever visit Soul Society. Can you do that?"

Ichigo shrugged and said, "Why not? As a Royal Guard, I hold more power in my hands than Central 46 and Gotei 13 combined." He got a wide eyed look from his father who then smirked at his son.

"That would mean you're Yama-jii's senior officer, right?" Isshin asked with a smirk only to get one in return.

Having answered his father, he turned back to listen to his sisters and heard their stories with a fond smile.

* * *

The next day he head out to Kisuke's shop to be the victor of his game of tag with Yoruichi. On his way, he sent a text to Uryu telling him that he was back in town and asked how far he'd progressed. He didn't get a reply yet so he sent another telling that he was at Kisuke's playing a game of tag with Yoruichi.

With his texting done, he reached the shop and knocked on the door. It opened and revealed Tessai.

"Welcome back Ichigo-dono." He greeted as he made way for Ichigo. "They're waiting below." The man said as he went back to the kitchen.

With a nod Ichigo went off and jumped down the ladder into the basement and found Kisuke on a boulder and Yoruichi stretching.

"Yo! Let's do this." He said as he reached the two.

Yoruichi smirked and said, "How about we up the ante? Every time each of us gets tagged, we remove a piece of clothing. How about it?" She got a broad grin in return.

"Sure~. Get ready to lose. Don't cry when you do." Ichigo said getting a smirk and a raised eyebrow from her.

"Okay! Now that the contestants are present, let's begin in three!" Kisuke said from his position on the boulder. "On your marks! One! Two! And three!"

Yoruichi immediately flashed at full speed and reached to tap Ichigo only to have her hand _pass through _him. She was tapped on her shoulder and turned her head just in time to see Ichigo smirking behind her as he vanished again leaving multiple clones of himself along the way as he kept on moving. 'He's fast!' She thought as she gave chase after dropping her orange vest following Ichigo's trail of clones. She concluded that he did this to make it easier for her to track him down. Knowing that she won't be able to catch him without Shunko, she unleashed it and flashed out of existence in full speed.

She was able to reach Ichigo just in time to miss him by a hair's length. With a cry she blasted off towards him fully intent on hitting him. She threw thunder bolts at him with her fists and soon, the game of tag became a game of hakuda and hoho.

Kisuke sighed and shook his head as the fight went on for hours and felt the tremors and the quakes produced each time they hit each other.

'What has this turned into?' He thought just in time for both of them to appear. Yoruichi was fully naked sweat glistening off her skin as she panted while Ichigo had his pants on with his t-shirt gone. Both had a few bruises here and there but Yoruichi more so than him.

"Damn berry." Yoruichi panted out. "You've gotten way too fast. At least three times faster than me." She then noticed Kisuke radiating smugness. "What?"

Kisuke closed his fan with a snap and said, "Well… I predicted that you'd lose and look how it turned out. Karma, eh?"

Yoruichi growled while Ichigo shook his head in amusement.

"So how far have you come in the last year?" Kisuke asked wanting to know more about his protégée.

"I did achieve Bankai and Segunda Etapa. Learnt kido up to the 90s. Why?"

"Show me then how much you've improved in the last year." With that Kisuke launched himself at Ichigo with his zanpakuto only to meet Ichigo's own. He was surprised with the speed Ichigo pulled out his zanpakuto from the two voids and blocked his strike without moving an inch.

"…why not?" Ichigo said getting serious.

Kisuke and Ichigo soon met each other in a fury of slashes. Dodge. Parry. Slice. Flip and slide. Stab. Dodge. This continued on for a few minutes before both reached a stalemate which with a grunt was broken by Ichigo who didn't miss a chance and aimed a cut for the annoying hat.

"Hey! That's my hat you're aiming for!"

"Exactly!"

They continued on for a while before falling into another stalemate which was broken by Kisuke back flipping causing Ichigo to stumble forward before he got a hold of himself.

"Let's get into shikai shall we?" Kisuke said to which he got a smirk.

"Sure… why not?"

**"Ignite and Disintegrate. Turn white and Solidify. **_**Getsu no Ikari**_**!/ Awaken, Benihime!" **Both yelled together releasing their respective shikais.

While Kisuke's zanpakuto smoothly took its shikai form, Ichigo's one wasn't smooth. Fire exploded bigger than Kisuke remembered and two bright flashes of light took place in the fire sphere where two large glowing khyber knives could be seen. In fact the explosion was so big, that Kisuke not only did he had to jump away, he even had to use **Blood Mist Shield **to protect himself. The ground around Ichigo cracked and charred with a crater of radius 20 feet.

Kisuke's eyes widened when he saw the familiar yet unfamiliar khyber knives in Ichigo's hands. The last time he saw them, the blades were purely silver and the flames on the right one were reddish-orange while the left one had blue flames. But now? The blades were now half black and half bone white with faint but barely visible blue circuit patterns running vertically and horizontally crisscrossing each other. Both blades gave off reddish-orange flame with clearly visible blue highlights.

Ichigo smirked at the gobsmacked reactions of both Yoruichi and Kisuke. He vanished as soon as he saw Kisuke refocus on him with his guard up.

Ichigo directly appeared above the scientist and swung down his left blade in an overhead swing and brought the right blade in a horizontal slash as soon as his left one was blocked.

Kisuke had to use both of his arms to block Ichigo's swing and a crater formed around him because of the force behind the strike. Noticing the second blade rapidly approaching, he twisted his body and narrowly avoided being cut down in half.

'That's dangerous!' He thought amazed by the changes of Ichigo's zanpakuto and its increased power. He then backed away and released an arc of crimson energy at Ichigo. **"Nake, Benihime!"**

Ichigo simply swatted away the attack as he reared his right blade back and charged flames and swung at Kisuke. **"Nenshou[1] Getsuga!". **Flames in the form of an arc raged towards Kisuke at a rapid speed towards Kisuke who instantly summoned **Blood Mist Shield** and protected himself.

When the flames died down, Kisuke smiled and said, **"Shibari, Benihime!" **Condensed energy in the form of tangible red net tried to wrap around Ichigo only for them to be burnt away.

Ichigo pointed his right blade at Kisuke and said, **"Souren Soukatsui!" **Blue flames rushed at him in the form of tornado and tried hitting Kisuke who shunpoed at the last second to avoid the hot blue flames.

'So he can infuse his element into kido, huh?' Kisuke thought as he prepared himself for one final attack. Both of them nodded and charged their zanpakuto and leaped toward each other.

While Kisuke brought his sword behind completely charging the blade with energy Ichigo crossed his blades above his head and completely encased them in fire.

**"Nenshou Getsuga Jujishou!"**

"**Kamisori, Benihime!"**

Cross shaped flames collided with red energy creating an explosion throwing up dust and debris everywhere.

Eventually a few minutes later, the dust cleared off showing a slightly injured Ichigo panting and Kisuke on the ground, hat burnt to dust. Yoruichi was blown off to a deeper part of the basement due to the explosion.

"M-My h-hat *sniff*. How cruel."

* * *

After he went home from the sparring session, he encountered a group of _fools _who had knocked over the flower vase of a girl's soul. He had dealt with them quite efficiently which entertained the girl quite a bit.

He had asked her if she'd want to move on to the after life. She said that she'd stick around for a bit and then approach him. So he warmed her of the dangers regarding the hollows to which she promised to be careful and find him or any other shinigami nearby to konso her.

Later when he returned home, he and his father had another session of brawl with the old man lying on the floor. After dinner, when he returned to his room, he opened his door just in time to see a female shinigami get out of the wall of his study desk.

Orihime was below helping Yuzu in the kitchen. In his absence, Yuzu had taken his place and was adamant about keeping it. She also said that his job might keep him busy often so he should rest and focus on schoolwork as much as possible.

He took in the appearance of the shinigami. She was short with black shoulder length hair and a pair of purple eyes that reminded him of Yoruichi's hair. He pretended not to see her and sat on his bed with a book keeping up the act but kept an eye on her.

"It should be here…" she muttered. Ichigo rose an eyebrow guessing that it was a hollow she was taking about and sent a pulse of reiatsu to scan the neighborhood. As soon as he sensed a presence, he jumped off of his bed startling the female shinigami and went downstairs. With a sequence of claps and whistle he notified them of an approaching hollow. They nodded and immediately rushed to their rooms leaving the father-son duo there.

The shinigami silently came down the stairs and observed the two. She has a feeling that she knew the older man or at least had seen him before but couldn't put a name to the face. Her eyes widened when she properly looked at Ichigo and compared him to Kaien. They both looked the same bar the hair and eye color.

She noticed the two tense and wondered what the matter was but got her answer when the wall of the house burst open revealing an arm. She then saw the two jump and take cover in the kitchen. Her device beeped rapidly notifying her that approximately six hollows had surrounded the house.

She rushed out through the broken wall and looked at he hollows. The first one looked like a hybrid of a human and fish while the second one looked like a bear except it had black skin, a hole in its stomach and a white bone mask. The third one appeared to be a bird and the fourth one looked like a humanoid lizard. The fifth one was the largest as it was towering above all of them nearly as tall as the house was and looked like a buffalo. The last one was the strongest and she had a suspicion that it was the fastest as well as it looked like a panther of sorts with green skin and blue lines and the same white bone mask. She guessed that it was the leader.

With a sigh she unsheathed her zanpakuto and released it knowing that without her shikai she won't last long.

**"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" **She her Zanpakutō out in front of her and turned it in a circle counter-clockwise. While she turned it, the blade, hilt, and tsuba turned completely white. The tsuba became a hollow snowflake-like circle, and a white ribbon formed from the pommel.

**"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" **Calling out the name of the dance, Rukia punctured the ground once, creating a large ice circle, before puncturing the ground in front of her four times in a semi-circle. As the ice particles began to flow up from the punctures she made in the ground, Rukia took a battle stance. Building up at the tip of Sode no Shirayuki, the ice particles are released as a powerful large avalanche of cold air, which flash froze the first and second hollow, encasing them in ice and shattering them.

**"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" **Ice rose up vertically amd caught the bird like hollow by its wings. The frozen wing shattered and the hollow howled in pain. Seeing one after one hollows come down, the panther like hollow jumped at the unguarded back of the shinigami fully intent on maiming her. The shinigami's eyes widened as she realized that she won't make it. Even still she tried to get out of the way, but the humanoid lizard like hollow wrapped her in its tail and slammed her on the ground making it easier for the panther hollow to lounge at her.

Time seemed to slow down for her as she looked on at the approaching hollows wholly set on devouring her. 'So this is how it ends?' She thought as she gave up and closed her eyes accepting her death. 'Forgive me nii-sama.' She waited for her imminent death but suddenly found herself free, loose and heard roars of pain and agony. She opened her eyes just in time to see the orange haired boy pull out his arm from the panther hollow before jumping and punching the biggest one. Then he proceeded to grab the lizard hollow by its tail and swung it around in circles before throwing it skywards and as it neared him, he roundhouse kicked the hollow effectively crushing the mask. She looked on astonished at the human that defeated three hollows barehanded.

"Yo, samurai lady!" Ichigo's voice called out to her snapping her out of her reverie. "With a powerful and beautiful sword like that how come you weren't able to defeat these… things?" Ichigo decided to pretend not to know what she was. "You look pretty ganged up." He grunted as he carried her and her bridal style with her 'sword' above her and entered the clinic where his father was waiting.

While he was doing this, he noticed that the 'samurai lady' was looking at him with wide eyes and a blush on her face, too weak to resist his help. He put her down on a bed and let his father check up on her.

She winced in pain as Isshin treated her wounds and cleaned them up. He asked Ichigo to call Orihime and have her change Rukia into a patient's gown. She shook her head and said, "Wait! You guys can see me?" She got a dry look from the father-son duo. Orihime stood by in attention watching the events unfold.

"About damn time…" Ichigo grumbled from his position. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

He introduced himself with a nod encouraging her to do the same.

She sputtered and said, "Kuchiki Rukia. Shinigami."

"Kurosaki Isshin. Father of the carrot-top and angels over there." Isshin introduced himself as he pointed at the siblings talking among themselves.

"What was that about being able to see you?" Ichigo asked continuing to pretend being a normal human and ignoring the jab by his father.

"I'm a shinigami. A soul sent from the afterlife named Soul Society to deal with the hollows and protect the humans and help souls pass on to the afterlife." She got nods from Isshin and Ichigo 'They seem to be taking this rather well.'

"Well… you've been severely wounded, so I suggest that you rest here for the night." She nodded at Isshin and closed her eyes waiting for the darkness that would take her to a world full of her Chappy toys.

Seeing Rukia sleep, the father-son duo sat at the dining table. "Of all the people, a Kuchiki?" Isshin sighed.

"A noble clan looking after the libraries and history of Soul Society." Ichigo said getting a nod from Isshin. "Anything wrong with her being a Kuchiki?"

Isshin shook his head. He knew the event between her and Kaien. He was actually grateful to her. If she hadn't done what she did, who knows what would've happened. "Her brother though…"

"A stone cold bastard with a stick deep in his ass?" Ichigo asked.

Isshin snorted and nodded. "Though I wouldn't blame the guy. He's been like that since his wife died and the stone cold attitude is in their blood. His grandfather was like that as well albeit less cold."

"He hasn't been able to move on it seems." Ichigo said and again got a nod. "Let's turn in for the night. I have a feeling she wouldn't be here in he morning."

With a nod, both of them went to their respective rooms to sleep.

* * *

Just as he expected, Rukia wasn't in the clinic next morning when he went to check up on her. She left a note thanking them for their hospitality.

He greeted his sisters, two of which were in the kitchen while the other was watching TV. He plopped down beside Karin and waited patiently for either of the cooks to call out.

Soon he found himself sitting on the chair beside Orihime eating breakfast.

After eating breakfast, the older siblings were out walking out towards the school talking about schoolwork. As soon as he stepped foot past the gate, he felt himself being watched. He kept on walking and sent a pulse of reiatsu to sense who it was. It was the shinigami from last night, Kuchiki Rukia.

'So she's keeping tabs on me? Who wouldn't after seeing a _human _take down something that was their job to do so?'

Seeing Ichigo's scowl on his face, Orihime asked what was wrong. He told her about his 'stalker' to which she giggled. They went to the classroom and took their seat greeting their friends.

Ichigo had 'transferred' into Karakura High and found his student/friend/cousin Ishida Uryu.

The two celebrated their reunion with a spar between themselves. Of course he won and he was pleased to see Uryu's progress. He was sure Uryu wouldn't have much trouble fighting a low tier lieutenant. The two of them chatted for a while and both talked about what they did in each other's absence.

He was brought back from his thoughts when the teacher, Miss Ochi stepped into the classroom.

Miss Ochi coughed in her hands and spoke up, "Listen up! We're having _another _transfer student into our class. You can come in."

The door opened up to reveal Kuchiki Rukia in all her glory wearing the standard Karakura High uniform with a fake cheerful smile plastered on her face. She waved at them as she stood on the podium and said, "Hi there! I'm Kuchiki Rukia. Please to meet you!" She ended with a bow. As she was told to take a seat behind Ichigo, she showed her palm to him which showed, _'Make a scene and you're so dead.'_

Ichigo briefly caught Uryu's gaze and nodded indicating that he'd look after the situation.

He turned and smirked evilly at her as she took her seat sending shivers down her spine. Her mask almost broke, keyword being _almost. _Though judging by the glint in his eyes, she could tell that he noticed.

* * *

When lunch came, Rukia created quite the commotion and pulled Ichigo to the rooftop to 'chat' privately. This caused Keigo to cry on the floor begging Ichigo to teach him how to charm a woman. Ichigo kicked him in the face and left after Rukia.

Now the two of them stayed in each other's presence on the rooftop not minding the silence which not unexpectedly was broken by Rukia.

"How did you kill those three hollows I had problem dealing with? How can you jump so high? Wait… don't tell me you're a mod soul." Rukia again nearly lost her composure at the mention of mod souls and from the corner of her eyes she saw him smirking at her.

"I just did." He shrugged.

Rukia gave him a dry look before opening her mouth to ask something only to be beaten down to it by Ichigo.

"Why are you here?" Ichigo asked facial expression changing from scowl to neutral face of a commander. "You're probably here to observe and stalk me aren't you?"

"Soul Society doesn't know yet but they will soon enough. I'll keep my promise to you."

Ichigo nodded before finishing lunch with her. He poked fun at her when she had problems opening the juice box. If she had been a tad more observant, she would've seen the pendant dangling from Ichigo's right wrist.

* * *

_ **Omake** _

_ **Alternate Universe** _

_ **Chapter 1- Return of his nightmare** _

Ichigo was sure that his life will get worse. Why? It's rather simple. His childhood nightmare was returning back from abroad and on top of that, said nightmare will be living _with _him in the _same room_! His life will no longer be as peaceful as it was since his nightmare's departure.

He groaned as he walked towards school. His father told him after his daily morning assault that he'll be seeing his nightmare in school. He was considering leaving the town but his nightmare was adamant in staying with him and would've followed him wherever he went.

'I'm sure it's the promise we made to each other.'

He was so absorbed in his dreadful thoughts that he didn't even notice his friends calling out to him.

His friends shared a concerned glance among each other and decided to ask what the matter was.

"Oi Ichigo!" A black haired girl called out to him from behind making him jump in shock.

"O-Oh T-Tatsuki! Morning, hehe…" Ichigo trailed off running the back of his head with a sheepish laugh.

Tatsuki scowled and asked, "What the hell is wrong with you? You ignored us when we tried to talk with you."

Ichigo apologized and with a pale yet serious face said, "You'll find out in class today." He shuddered and rubbed his arms to get rid of the goosebumps.

Tatsuki frowned but said nothing. The group then walked towards their class completely oblivious of the figure observing them from afar.

"I found you~" the figure whispered in a sing-song voice.

* * *

Ichigo kept his guard up the whole time in class glancing from side to side and then looking out of the window. His behavior worried his friends and every time Orihime asked if something was wrong, he brushed her off saying that he was fine. Orihime pouted as she returned to her seat wondering what kept her best friend so on guard.

"Alright class, settle down! We're having a new student in our class so be on your best behavior!" Miss Ochi said as she stood behind the teacher's desk and waited for the class to calm down. "You may come in!"

'Oh god no!' Ichigo thought as he trembled in his seat completely pale with his eyes wide.

The door opened to reveal a female student in the standard Karakura High uniform. She was short and petite with short black hair in a bob cut and had violet eyes. She stood beside the teacher and smiled at the class in a way that lightened up the room. "Hi there! I'm Kuchiki Rukia. Pleased to meet you!" She ended with a bow and then flashed a smile at Ichigo.

Tatsuki turned pale as well and looked at Ichigo finally realizing why he was so tense.

Ichigo stood up with his hands on his head and screamed to the whole world, "NOOOOO!"

**To be continued…**

* * *

**[1]- Nenshou translates to 'Burning'.**


	6. See you on the other side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotei 13 😒

**Warning:** ** Sadistic Ichigo will be seen in this chapter! And in the future as well.**

* * *

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Shiro"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thiniking'

* * *

It was raining. It always did. On this same day every year it rained. As a kid he loved the rain, but since that night he hated it. The rain reminded him of that night; the night his world came crashing down. The night his world lost its sun.

And now, the very reason for his world's loss was in front of him panting and healing from the superficial wounds he gave to it in purpose giving in to his inner sadist.

Grand Fisher. A hollow that has been escaping the shinigami for years had taken away his world's sun. That very same hollow dared to take his sisters away from him on the very same day it took away his mother.

He was a bit late but was able to rescue his sisters in time. Orihime and Isshin had then taken his twin sisters away from the fight which he had been dominating from the start.

Though when he was sure that his family was out of range, he let out his inner self. Instead of glaring at the hollow with hatred, he smiled at it so sweetly that the hollow was forced to take a step away from him.

The two had a bit of reminiscing of that night all the while Ichigo had that sweet smile that screamed of pain unlike any other. Every time the hollow missed its target Ichigo would then sadistically taunt it. Ichigo could've ended the fight with one arrow but he didn't. No. He wanted to torture the hollow. For that reason alone, he had set up a barrier, the one of the Quincy which prevented the flow of reiatsu of the inside to the outside. Which was why Rukia was absent and unaware of a hollow.

Speaking of Rukia, the two had gotten closer over the weeks. She stayed with the Kurosaki family in their guest room where Ichigo slept whenever Tatsuki slept over.

Ichigo was brought out of his thoughts when a tendril of fur tried impaling him. He jumped and dodged the incoming tendrils and shot a few arrows in return successfully hitting his mark. Arrows which were dodged by the hollow were then maneuvered to hit the hollow in the back.

Getting frustrated, the hollow decided to use its trump card, one that always caught his targets off guard. He then created the doll of a very dead Masaki Kurosaki in order to catch his food off guard. Oh how wrong he was.

**"How's that brat?! What will you do now?! Hahaha! Let's see how y-AAAAHHHH!" **Before the hollow could finish, the doll of Masaki Kurosaki was blasted with an arrow. As the hollow stopped howling in pain, it glared at Ichigo.

"You know what? You're no fun. How about I finish you off right here and now?" Ichigo said as he smiled much more sadistically and created a _very dense _reishi arrow and aimed at the mask. The arrow was so dense, that the small area around It was distorting rapidly. Fortunately due to the rain, the the hollow didn't notice.

**"Ha! Do you really think that weak arrow can harm me?!"**

"Let's see if this one works shall we?" Ichigo asked with the same sweet sadistic smile on his face.

**"Huh? What a-"** before the hollow could finish, it was blasted to pieces.

Ichigo sighed and looked at the sky as he rain slowed down. The guilt which he had buried deep inside of him had resurfaced again at the sight of Grand Fisher was now gone. 'Rest in Peace mom.'

With a mental command, he put down the barrier and joined his family.

* * *

Ichigo woke up the next day with groggy eyes. He looked down the see the bed empty meaning that Orihime had already woken up and was preparing breakfast with Yuzu. He stepped out of his room and went to freshen up. He greeted Rukia as she came out of the bathroom.

For some reason he had that nagging feeling that something stupid was about to happen today. He brushed it off and brushed his teeth.

After he was done, he went into his room and changed into his school uniform. He got down the stairs and ducked as his father went flying over him and hit the wall. He kicked his father on the back of his head to make sure that the manchild doesn't bother him again.

He sat down on the dinning table beside Orihime with Rukia opposite to the manchild. The group ate in comfortable silence which was broken by Rukia, something Ichigo was expecting.

"So… did you encounter any hollows yesterday?"

Ichigo nodded and said, "It was a small fry. A punch followed by a heel drop was enough to kill it." He lied.

Ichigo often had to deal with hollows now and then whenever Rukia wasn't around him, so she asked if he had dealt with any.

"I see… sorry I wasn't there to deal with it." Rukia bowed her head lightly only to be smacked by Ichigo.

"Stop bowing you damned chappy addicted midget. You were probably busy dealing with another hollow. So it's fine."

The 'midget' part sparked a fire in her and thus her daily verbal fight with Ichigo began. They kept at it till they reached the school gate where she had shifted back to her façade much to the amusement of Orihime and irritation of Ichigo.

The trio greeted their friends and got into their class. Ichigo raised an eyebrow when Uryu smirked at him with a mischievous glint. He then remembered the pencil's intension and smirked back in return.

The duo's interaction wasn't gone unnoticed by Rukia who narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She knew that the pencil was a Quincy and for the two of them to act like they knew something unnerved her. It unnerved her even more when Ichigo wiggled his eyesbrows at her with an annoying smirk.

'What are they planning?'

* * *

Rukia was right. The carrot top and pencil were planning something. The pencil suddenly approached the two as they headed towards home proposing that a competition be held to decide who's best, a shinigami or a Quincy.

Before she could even reply, Uryu had crushed the hollow bait and thus called in countless hollows. With a quick 'see you', the Quincy was gone rapidly firing arrows and taking down hollows.

She quickly jumped into action releasing her shikai right off the bat freezing hollows here and there raising her count all the while Ichigo looked on from the rooftop of a random building.

Since he had a considerable amount of reiatsu, Rukia had been 'teaching' him Kido to protect himself. She taught him Byakurai, Shakkaho, Oukasen and Soukatsui from the hado group while from the bakudo group, she taught him Sai, Hainawa, Seki and Sekienton.

Rukia knew what she did was a crime. But Ichigo said that he'd keep this fact a secret in exchange for her not spilling his secret of having crushed the hollows like normal thugs. She sighed in relief but soon she had a bad feeling that she'd be found out, not by Ichigo but Soul Society would find out and by that she'd endanger both her and his lives.

She taught him out of impulse but she realized her mistake later on once he was done properly learning the spells but she had suspicions as to how Ichigo was able to grasp the knowledge about the spells so easily. She wasn't so sure what to make of the enigma that is Kurosaki Ichigo.

She shook her head and focused on the competition determined to prove that shinigami are the best.

* * *

While the two were focusing on slaying the hollows, Ichigo pulled out a file named 'Kuchiki Rukia' and noted down her prowess and skills. He'd sensed her going to his school and saved the students from a hollow that nearly controlled every students there. Luckily neither Tatsuki nor Orihime were there.

So far he was content with her progress even though it was a given that Uryu would win the competition. The guy had learnt manipulation so well that he could control a dense arrow and maneuver it to kill multiple hollows in series. He was kind of glad that the competition was being held since he was now properly able to judge the power levels of the two.

As he noted down the report on Rukia, he absentmindedly threw a Byakurai at a hollow over his shoulder. He chuckled at the hollow's failed attempt at stealth.

He sighed as he put down the pen and closed the file putting it back into the void that appeared beside him.

He smirked when he saw the tear in sky spread out and become larger due to two white hands sticking out. Soon after followed the head and body to reveal a Menos Grande In all its glory.

'Let's see how she reacts to this threat.'

* * *

Both Rukia and Uryu met at the same place once they were done hunting the hollows. Now with all of them gone, they decided to share how many they killed.

"I killed 695 hollows. How about you Kuchiki-san?" Uryu asked as he slightly glanced at the amused Ichigo who was looking up at the sky.

Rukia was panting with her hands on her knees and head bowed as she gulped air thankfully hiding her shock. "I-I killed 304 hollows." There was silence which was then broken down by the heavy footsteps of Menos Grande.

Both of them looked wide eyed as the hollow headed towards them. Uryu summoned his bow and faced the approaching hollow.

Rukia on the other hand nearly panicked. She calmed down and then reminded herself that the place was empty of life. She then looked at the Quincy and then asked, "So… will you be willing to take the responsibility for that?" She finished pointing to the hollow.

Uryu smirked and pushed up his glasses. "Oh? A shinigami scared of a simple Menos Grande?" His smirk widened when he saw her scowl at him.

"Let's forget the competition for now and take this one down." She said seriously. Even still she internally frowned at the thought that even captains have trouble taking down a Menos Grande. So where was the chance that fodder material like her could take it down?

"You freeze that thing up while I prepare a powerful arrow." Uryu said to which she nodded.

"**Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" **She then looked at Uryu to see him pointing a brightly glowing arrow at the half frozen hollow on his left knee.

As he positioned the arrow in its proper path, he released it by softly muttering, **"****Heilig Pfeil.****" **The arrow roared through the air and destroyed half of its body. As it's top half body fell in front of them, Rukia flashed close to the Menos and stabbed the ground in front of her once and muttered, **"Juhaku." **She then followed it by a Hakuren and completely froze the hollow.

Uryu jumped over her and then shot an arrow completely obliterating what was left of a Menos Grande.

Ichigo dropped beside them and clapped. "Well done you two."

The two of them turned to look at him but Uryu aimed his bow at Ichigo and shot an arrow at him. Rukia saw it in slow motion her heart beating fast at the thought of Ichigo dying. She was about to rush to his side but stood frozen when said person tilted his head and the arrow killed the hollow behind him.

Rukia resealed her sword and let out a sigh.

"My oh my, the great Kuchiki Rukia panicked at the thought of me dying. I'm so honored." Ichigo said as he bowed and flashed a smirk at her letting her know that he noticed her panic and was amused at the sight.

Uryu smirked and pushed up his glasses. "Guess a Quincy wins then." His comment brought Rukia out of their reverie.

"What? I'm an unseated officer. Not a lieutenant nor a captain. My brother wouldn't have sweated at the sight of this many hollows!"

'True…' Ichigo thought and then turned towards her. "Exactly the reason he challenged you."

Rukia mulled over his words and then muttered an 'Oh'. "Wait! Are you telling me that I'm weak?!"

Uryu snickered while Ichigo dryly looked at her. "No you're not weak. You're strong in your own rights. So is Uryu but stronger than you are."

Rukia sighed and nodded her head knowing that it was the truth. She then flashed to her gigai and came to them in it. "Let's go. I'm hungry."

Ichigo nodded and left with her waving at Uryu over his shoulder who then frowned and looked up at the sky.

'Testing her, huh?'

* * *

Ichigo stared at the note written to him that stated Rukia's departure and thought back to the time they had spent together.

He reminisced about their first meeting and from there their discussion about her plans and then her teaching him kido. Him lying to her about Grand Fisher not coming. Then the competition.

He sighed as he sensed two more spiritual signatures with Rukia. From the looks of it, she was in a fight. On one hand he wanted to go and back her up by using his authority and on the other hand he didn't want to reveal himself so soon.

'What should I do guys?' He asked to his spirits.

**"_Play the hero's role?" _**Shiro asked.

"**Revealing yourself so soon wouldn't do good but you shouldn't leave her in that condition as well. Think Ichigo. What did you train in the past years for?" **Juha Bach said.

"_I can tell that the shinigami she is fighting has released his zanpakuto and seal. You should go and use your authority." _Aka-nee stated with a frown.

"_Y-You should h-help your friend Ichigo." _Ao said shyly. Ichigo still hadn't gotten used to her flip in personality. He was so used to being her punching bag that he sometimes stared at her in confusion before realizing that he'd been staring at her thanks to her fidgeting and squirming under his intense gaze.

As he was about to open his wardrobe and wear his shinigami garb, his door opened to reveal Isshin to which he simply raised an eyebrow.

"Kuchiki Byakuya has come with his lieutenant." He left as he said that knowing that his son would go to her rescue no matter the circumstance.

Orihime was downstairs helping Yuzu washing the dishes. Getting into his shinigami garb with the haori, he leaped out of the window and flashed to Rukia's position.

_ **Minutes earlier with Rukia** _

Realizing that her time in the human world was over, she simply placed a note on Ichigo's desk letting him know that she'd left.

She at first went to Urahara's shop and dropped her gigai there. Then she flashed to the place where she first came out of the senkaimon to open it once again to return back to Soul Society.

It was only thanks to her instincts and practice spars with Ichigo with the sword that she was able to jump back in time to avoid being severed.

"Rukia!" A male voice yelled as the figure stood up from the ground sword on his shoulder. He appeared to have long crimson hair tied into a ponytail with tribal tattoos covering his forehead under a visor.

"Renji?!" Rukia exclaimed after getting a better look at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked confused as to why he came to the living world.

"To take you back so you can pay for the crimes you committed of course!" He yelled as he jumped at her. From another rooftop, a figure with similar clothing to Renji with the addition of a haori with the number six in a rhombus on the back indicating his position as a captain stood watching the fight.

It was under his orders that he redhead attacked his sister. He wanted to see if she had grown in any ways or not. So he watched patiently as his sister met blows with blows against the redhead much to his amusement and the redhead's frustration.

"Why?! Why did you interact with a human and taught him things he wasn't supposed to know?!" Renji asked as he continued fighting her. He was sure she was holding back and acknowledged the fact that she was strong.

"I couldn't help it! The boy had high reiatsu levels and often attracted hollows. So I had to teach him a few kidos to make sure he didn't die!" With a grunt, she leapt at the redhead and got into a stalemate. She then placed her right hand and charged up lightning. **"Oukasen!"** The wave of yellow lightning hit the redhead point blank leaving burn marks.

Renji looked at his captain and got a nod from him. He removed his limiter and yelled, **"Roar, Zabimaru!"** His normal sword transformed into an even longer 6-part segmented blade; each segment was wider than the one preceding it from the hilt, with 2 pick-like protrusions on the front and back of each segment, with the ones on the front much longer than the ones on the back.

He then sent his segmented sword at Rukia and was successful in grazing her shoulder making her hiss in pain.

Renji then said, "You seem to have taken a liking to the human it seems!"

"So what if I did?! What's it to you?! Who I take a liking to is _**none of your business**_!" She then got into her favored stance and released her zanpakuto.** "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"** She then proceeded to stab the ground and leapt back saying, **"Juhaku!" **Ice travelled at great speeds and caught up to the redhead but said redhead was able to get out of the way. **"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" **She then sent a wave of ice towards the redhead and much to her disappointment he was able to break the ice and get out of the way again.

Renji smirked and sent his segmented blades again at her an scowled when she leaped out of the way barely dodging the prongs. Her earlier confession had irritated him so he was letting it out on her believing her to be weak.

While the two kept on going at it, Byakuya kept record of how much she had improved feeling proud of her which was then crushed when he remembered what she did. He then thought about the human that had caught his sister's attention and wondered about what to do with him. His musing was brought to a halt when a massive force fell down on them immediately reminding him of the head captain.

Rukia paled as she recognized the reiatsu signature but was shocked to see how much bigger it was than hers.

Renji on the other hand was scared and confused as to who the spiritual pressure belonged to. Thinking that it was his captain's doing, he looked at him and much to his confusion found his captain looking in the direction Rukia was looking at with narrowed eyes.

The pressure that dropped in them was only for a second and was able to succeed in what it was intended for. The fight stopped and the three waited with baited breath to see who it was.

The area was eerily quiet and soon a figure was seen walking towards them. Renji squinted his eyes but failed to get a proper look at the figure.

Soon three pairs of eyes widened as they saw an orange haired tall teen appear in front of them clad in a variation of shinigami garb with a haori.

"I-Ichigo…?" Rukia choked out startling out the other two out of their thoughts. "You never told me about… this…" she said hurt that her friend didn't tell her about it.

"I was planning on doing so tonight but look what happened. The bunny ran out of the house only to get in trouble with a red pineapple-head and a statue." Ichigo finished with his trademark smirk.

Rukia blushed the implications of the word 'bunny' and shook her head trying her best to get rid of the suggestive images and forced down her embarrassment while the eyebrows of the other two shinigami twitched in annoyance.

Renji then noticed how loose Rukia was around Ichigo and concluded that the human was standing before him but he question remained; why was he clad in shinigami clothing with a haori? Renji's annoyance then increased and was thinking hard on who to lash at, Rukia or the strawberry.

While the fiasco was going on below before Byakuya, he was too shocked to do anything when he saw the back of the haori. 'Royal Guard. What is a Royal Guard doing here?' He was panicking inside while keeping a calm visage outside which nearly shattered when the Royal Guard looked at him with an all knowing smirk. He then noticed his lieutenant yelling something at the orange haired Royal Guard and struggled not to facepalm.

"You! So you're the human that she mentored huh?!" Renji yelled at Ichigo from his position. He didn't care that Ichigo was wearing a haori. Two things he was sure of were the fact that the man before him was a human and the same person to have gotten liked by Rukia.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and said in a voice that screamed of power. "And what of it?" This seemed to irritate Renji more who launched himself at Ichigo fully intent on cutting the annoying pest down.

Rukia seeing that Ichigo was unarmed stood in front of him to protect him from Renji's rage fueled attack.

Before Renji's zanpakuto could even clash with Rukia's, blood erupted from a diagonal slash that ran down his left shoulder to his right hip.

The Kuchiki siblings looked on in shock as the redhead fall to ground with a thugd bleeding to unconsciousness. The two of them looked at Ichigo who sheathed his sword on his left hip beside the other one.

"Tsk. Annoying extras." He then closed Renji in a yellow box and healed used long range Kaido to close the wound on Renji. Long range Kaido was something only he could do, it was also his Invention.

The siblings looked on in shock both having different thoughts.

'So this is what a Royal Guard is capable of…'

'What more is he hiding from me…?'

Ichigo then coughed and gained the siblings' attention. "What were your orders Captain Kuchiki?" He spoke in a tone that screamed of authority.

Byakuya gulped slightly and then said, "My orders were to bring my sister Kuchiki Rukia back to Soul Society and have Central 46 decide her punishment for teaching a human knowledge about something that he shouldn't be aware of."

Ichigo hummed while Rukia looked at her brother with a dumb expression on her face. "So why is it that your lieutenant was fighting her?"

"I wanted to see how much she had progressed, so I had him fight my sister." Byakuya answered without missing a beat.

Ichigo hummed again and thought about what his next move would be. "Hmm… well you may go but… tell the Captain Commander that a Royal Guard will be arriving soon and her judgment is to held out till then. _**Am I understood?**_"

Byakuya nodded and picked up Renji as Rukia opened the senkaimon.

"Oh! Be sure to punish your lieutenant for not thinking before acting." Ichigo said with a grin as he waved at their passing figures. Byakuya and Rukia bowed and left but not before looking back at him one last time getting the untold message.

'_See you at Soul Society.'_

As the senkaimon closed, Ichigo sighed and headed towards his home to break the news of him leaving for Soul Society tomorrow.

* * *

Ichigo stepped out of the senkaimon into a very somber Seireitei. The atmosphere seemed broody and was filled with sadness.

'What the hell happened?'

Sensing Byakuya, Ichigo flashed to his location and found himself beside said person in his garden bandages wrapped around his body under the kimono he wore startling the man.

"Kurosaki-sama…" Byakuya trailed off recognizing Ichigo who nodded at him.

"What happened?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

Byakuya sighed and spoke up, "Yesterday when we returned here, The three of us were intercepted by former captains Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname. Tosen kidnapped Rukia while I had to fend off Ichimaru. After a bit of fighting, Ichimaru looked at the Sokyoku hill and without a word flashed over there. I rushed to Squad Four and handed over my lieutenant to a medic and sent the message about traitors among the ranks using Hell Butterfly. By the time I reached the top, I found Rukia on the ground, a hole above her chest with Aizen Sosuke shadowing her with a scowl fixed on his face. As he was about to kill her, I jumped in and blocked his slash. As we fell into a stalemate, Gin used his shikai to impale me and then all the captains came. The three of them were branded traitors due to killing Central 46 and in the end escaped to Hueco Mundo having joined with the hollows and declared war on us." He finished sipping his tea while Ichigo processed everything with his tea cup in his hands.

"How's Rukia?" He asked as he sipped his tea.

"She's recovering quite well thanks to Captain Unohana." Ichigo nodded satisfied with the answer.

"Well, I'll drop by later to check up on her. Gotta go talk to the old dragon. See ya." With that Ichigo was gone shocking Byakuya not only by what he called the Captain Commander but the near solid afterimage as well.

* * *

Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto hasn't been this tired for the entirety of his life as a Captain Commander after the Blood War. Recently three captains turned out to be traitors and also told him about he truth behind the exile of seven captains and four lieutenants. He bristled in anger as he realized that he was fooled for a long while and wanted nothing more than unleashing Ryujin Jakka on the traitorous former Captain Aizen Sosoke. But he didn't, knowing that his subordinates would be in danger if he did so and had to watch the scene unfold before him.

He sighed once again as he mulled over what Captain Kuchiki had told him yesterday. He couldn't believe it. A Royal Guard roaming in around in the living world. The two had suspicions about the orange haired Royal Guard being rogue but immediately threw that thought out when a different Hell Butterfly, one belonging to the Royal Guards came and told him of his meeting with the new Royal Guard. _Shiba-Kurosaki Ichigo _was his name. Son of MIA Captain Shiba Isshin and the Quincy Kurosaki Masaki, a noble among the Quincies.

Not only was the sixth member a Shinigami-Quincy hybrid, he was also a noble among both races.

His musings were brought to a halt when his long time friend and lieutenant came and told him about the Royal Guard.

"Send him in." His lieutenant nodded and called out to his guest. He took his seat on his chair and motioned his guest to take the one opposite to him. He then took a good look at the young hybrid and noted his appearance. His hair was long and tied into a ponytail at the neck. He wore a variation of the shinigami garb with its sleeves being marked with small diamonds and spheres of golden-yellow color. Single trim lines on each sleeve started from two spheres, one on top and other from bottom and joined together on the shoulder up to the collar. The hem of his hakama was marked with thin and long vertical kites that reached slightly above his calves. The obi was also golden-yellow. The haori was also a variation but a haori nonetheless. It had two shoulder pads colored black with golden scales and extended outwards to form an X above the chest before joining with the haori again at the hip. At the center point of the X, he noticed was his Quincy cross. The diamonds and spheres on the hem of the haori were royal purple and the sides of the haori were marked with three slim trim lines of royal purple.

"I take it you were notified of my coming?" The teen across him asked, steel in his voice that reminded him of his younger days as a commander.

The old dragon nodded as he took a sip of the tea his lieutenant had brought. "Might I ask what you plan on doing with the youngest Kuchiki?"

Ichigo nodded as he sipped his tea. "She did nothing wrong. When she first arrived, I let a considerable amount of reiatsu leak from me thus attracting hollows. At that point I decided to take her test without notifying her. Then for the next few days I supported her barehanded whenever a hollow came and since she knew that I wouldn't be able to protect myself without her from stronger hollows, she decided to teach me kido even though it a crime to do so but she prioritized my life over hers and 'taught' me four hados and bakudo." He paused and took a sip of his tea and continued, "It was funny watching how she pulled her hair in frustration when she was teaching me those kidos. After that, I had my Quincy friend challenge her to a competition of who could kill the highest number of hollows. Don't worry I had placed a barrier to prevent humans from getting close to us. Obviously she lost but she is well capable of teamwork proven when she killed the Menos Grande something I'm sure has to do with Aizen with him. And that's my report on her along with my judgement. She did what was necessary and I deem her innocent. Now the question is, what will _you _decide?"

Ichigo continued drinking his tea as he watched various emotions play across the old dragon's face. He was amused to say the least.

The old dragon then sighed and said, "I'll announce her innocent tomorrow at the captains' meeting. Though…"

"The hornet of a captain might protest and wish for your permission to bring me and lock me up in a cell, right?" Ichigo said to which he old dragon nodded and sighed. "Well, you might as well introduce this 'human'…" he pointed at himself and continued, "…to the captains, eh? Should be entertaining to say the least."

The old dragon snorted and nodded. "Will do. After all, you'll be moving in here to lead 'Squad Zero: Seireitei Branch' alongside becoming the head of the _Royal Family Shiba-Kurosaki._"

"Yup. My family is quite understanding and I plan on bringing them here after the war." Then Ichigo remembered about the matter of exiles and asked, "By the way, what are you going do now that you know Kisuke and the others were innocent?"

The old dragon stayed quiet for a while before answering, "I'll send them apology letters and remove their brand as exiles. Take the letters before you leave for the human world."

Ichigo then stood up and left with a quick 'See Ya'.

The old dragon then sighed and looked at the Seireitei from his position wondering about the changes about to come.

'Brats everywhere…'

* * *

As promised, Ichigo had directly went to the Kuchiki manor and found both siblings in the garden watching the Koi pond.

"Yo! How are you doing Rukia?" Ichigo greeted startling both of them.

"Ichigo! What are you doing here?" Rukia asked as she regained her composure.

"What? I can't drop by to see my only friend here?" Ichigo asked tilting his head to the left. "And besides… I need to tell you more about me…"

"Oh… well then what are you waiting for?"

As Byakuya was about to leave, Ichigo placed his hand on his shoulder and told him to stay. "You need to know as well." Byakuya nodded hesitantly and sat down.

Ichigo coughed into his hand and began, "My name is _Shiba_-Kurosaki Ichigo, son of former Shiba clan head and former squad ten captain, Shiba Isshin now known as Kurosaki Isshin. My mother is a Quincy noble named Kurosaki Masaki. And I'm a Shinigami-Quincy-Hollow hybrid and the sixth Squad Zero officer."

Silence fell upon the two siblings frozen in place with their mouths and eyes open wide. Byakuya came out of his shock first and then said, "That means you're a noble to both the Quincies _and _Shinigami?"

Rukia nodded her head at Ichigo and then asked, "Why didn't you tell me these earlier back then?" She had a hurt expression on her face which made Ichigo sigh.

"If I did tell you, would you have believed me? Or even if you did, do really think you would've seen us as friends?"

Rukia was about to say yes but stopped when she properly thought about it. He was her superior and considering him her friend would be seen as disrespect in the others' eyes and as a Kuchiki herself she couldn't bring shame to the clan.

"Look Rukia, you're the only friend I have here, so don't let my status ruin the bond we have, okay?"

Rukia nodded with a smile and then asked when one thing about him came to her mind. "Wait… if your mother is a Quincy and your father a shinigami, then where did your hollow come from?"

Ichigo smiled. "For that I need to tell you how dad and mom met. You see nearly two decades ago…" he continued telling the story of how his father met his mother and by the time he was done, Byakuya asked him to join them in dinner and stay for the night. Ichigo was about to refuse but a stern glare from Rukia made him agree.

* * *

_ **Omake** _

_ **Alternate Universe** _

_ **Chapter 2- Confessions** _

"NOOOOO!" Ichigo exclaimed loudly for the whole world to hear as he fell on his chair and hit the table knocking himself out cold. The whole class looked at him as if he had lost it.

The silence was broken with Rukia's melodious laughter as she stood beside Ichigo's unconscious form surprising everyone with the speed at which she covered the distance. "My my, Icchan, you're so excited to see me that you passed out? Typical of you." She then with an impressive display of power in her petite form carried Ichigo bridal style and walked towards the door. "I'm taking him to the infirmary. See you later~." And she was gone with another impressive display of speed.

"Break a leg you two!" Miss Ochi yelled poking her head out from the class. She then returned to her position in between the board and teacher's desk and said, "Well that happened. What are you waiting for?! Pull out your books you brats!"

* * *

Ichigo stirred on his bed and groggily opened his eyes. 'Huh? What am I doing at the infirmary?'

His answer came in the form of two arms snaking around his neck followed by a sweet voice. "Icchan~. I'm back~." She silenced him with a breathtaking kiss as he was about to panic judging by the widening of his eyes. She forced her tongue into his mouth as he froze in his position with mouth and eyes open wide for assault.

Much to her satisfaction, he moaned into her mouth with closed eyes as she played with his organ.

After a few seconds the two separated for the lack of oxygen and Ichigo let his head rest on the pillow while Rukia made herself comfortable on his chest. "I'm sorry." Rukia muttered pressing her face deeper into his chest.

"Eh? What for?" Ichigo asked confused as to why she apologized. True, she was his nightmare but what she did in the past was her way of showing her affection. He knew it very well however it wasn't of any comfort knowing that as he was always marked by her since they made the promise.

"_Let's marry when we grow up, Okay? Promise?"_

"_Hmm! Sure! It's a promise!"_

Ever since that day eight years ago followed by the next two years, she'd showered him with affection by leaving love bites every time she left his house. Don't get them wrong. They didn't do anything scandalous. In fact, the love bites were encouraged by their parents themselves. So blame their parents for your misunderstandings. Perverts. Moving on…

Ichigo looked at her hidden face and thought about their past. Their promise. 'It was something we made when we were kids. So does it count?' He thought, his eyes never leaving her head. 'Oh hell! Whatever! Kids' promise or not, it's happening.' He then proceeded to flip their positions with him on top and her under him with her limbs wrapped around his body.

"Icchan? What are yo-mmmh!" She was silenced by a kiss courtesy of Ichigo.

Ichigo broke the kiss and said, "Keep your apologies to yourself. We're marrying the instant we graduate from high school and nothing will stop me from marrying you. Got it, bunny?"

Rukia listened to him with wide eyes as he confessed to her. Tears gathered in her eyes and she flipped their positions back to what it was and roughly kissed him. "Got it!"

Ichigo smiled and kissed her forehead. "Love you."

"Love you too."

**The End!**


	7. Failed Kidnapping and New Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TIer! 😊

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Shiro"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

A month. It's been a month since he's left Soul Society and escaped to Hueco Mundo to rule over it. A month since he'd been fooled. What he figured was the Hogyoku simply turned out to be a glass sphere containing liquid that glowed in purple hue and had similar energy signature. This meant one thing.

The Hogyoku has been destroyed.

When he had come to later realize that he was fooled by Kisuke Urahara, he'd lost it and to make it worse, Gin had started laughing his ass off but in the end was put on the end of his wrath.

So he focused on improving his own Hogyoku and force it into completion. But before that, he'd need more additions to his army.

He was shaken out of his reverie when the doors to the throne room opened and revealed his Tres Espada, Tier Harribel.

"You summoned me Lord Aizen?" Tier asked as she looked up at Aizen.

"Yes I did. I have a mission for you. You'll be visiting the Living World and bring me my pet projects." He then asked Tosen to hand over all the information about her destination and target. She took the file and waited for further orders. "You'll be leaving in three hours. By that time it'll be past midnight and everyone will be asleep." He narrowed his eyes and said, "Failure won't be tolerated." He then dismissed her and drank tea from the cup given to him by Tosen.

"Won't there be shinigami patrols in that town Lord Aizen?" Tosen asked once he was sure that Tier was gone. "Not to mention that Kisuke Urahara is also there."

Aizen hummed and said, "The shinigami patrols won't be much of a trouble. Since this is a stealth mission, Harribel is well aware of the fact that she'd have to do this after suppressing her reiatsu. And she's not Grimmjow or Noitora for that matter, however I am serious about the intolerance of failure. This mission is also a test."

"A test?"

"Yes. She might be a hollow but she has morals that humans do. I want to see if she'd hesitate to follow orders as straight as given or not." He sipped his tea and smiled when his Quattro Espada appeared.

"What can I do for you Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Harribel will be leaving in three hours to a trip to the living world. I want you to simply_ observe_ and do _nothing. _Even if she's in a fight. Should she fail the mission, you'll return at once _without _her. Am I understood?"

"Understood. Is that all?" He left when he got a nod.

"My my. You seem eager to dispose of your army Lord Aizen." Gin asked as he revealed himself from behind one of the pillars with his trademark grin on his face.

"It doesn't matter. I have found someone who is on par with our dear Primera. He's graciously agreed to join in on my cause and will arrive tomorrow."

"So you _do _plan on disposing her!" Gin exclaimed his trademark grin widening. "You're so cruel."

"You know me so well Gin."

* * *

Tier leaned against the balcony thinking about what she's about to do. She'd read the file and drilled in the information in her mind. It hurt her to do this but she must follow her orders, and War was coming.

Her fraccion had been quite noisy and she'd asked to be left alone to her own thoughts. She'd be breaking an already broken family and though this did not sit well with her she had to do it or else someone else would have to do it and she doubted they'd be gentle.

After going through various scenarios and plans she got ready to leave for her mission.

* * *

It's been a month since Ichigo had returned from his trip to Soul Society. His squad barracks would be done by the next month and then he'll return there for good. After the war, he'd be taking his position as the head of the clan. He was grateful that he was born in the Shiba clan as they were a bunch of lazy asses who preferred to follow their heart and do what is right just like him.

When he'd shown up at his cousin Kuukaku's home, she'd been ecstatic to know that she had more family members alive and had thrown a party. He was the one who asked to be the clan head and at first she'd refused but had to agree when he brought the point of the clan head being a shinigami something she wasn't. She had then introduced him to the Rukongai denizens who surprisingly had welcomed him with open arms. He thought that since he was a shinigami he'd be looked at with disdain, but turned out that it was the opposite. They didn't care that he was a shinigami all they cared about was that he was a Shiba and they could tell who was pretending and who wasn't to be one.

He had spent the last day spending time with his cousins both of them giving him a tour of West Rukongai.

There were a lot of souls from the Rukongai that bid him farewell with gifts of their own. That day he promised to them that after he'd become the clan head, he'd work on improving the Rukongai. He didn't tell them about the war as he didn't want them to panic and had left with the promise of returning ASAP.

He silently laughed as he recalled what happened in the captains' meeting.

_ **Flashback- One month ago- Captains' Meeting** _

"... and thus Kuchiki Rukia is deemed innocent under the watchful eyes of the Royal Guard." Lieutenant Sasakibe finished reading in front of all captains.

Yamamoto opened an eye and looked at the captains. The sixth squad captain despite being impassive seemed less stiff and relaxed compared to the beginning of the meeting. His former students both seemed relieved that the girl's life was spared. The forth squad captain was smiling, the seventh squad captain remained impassive in his bandaged form finally ridding himself of the mask. The tenth squad captain was a bit pale from the injuries he had sustained and seemed worried for his childhood friend on the verge of mental breakdown. The eleventh squad brute of a captain seemed bored and seemed to be wishing for a good fight. The same bar fighting part could be told for the twelfth division clown of a scientist. He mentally sighed as he saw the scowling face of the second squad captain or 'Hornet' as dubbed by the orange-haired brat.

"What about the human? Shouldn't actions be taken against him for knowing about the afterlife?" The second squad captain asked from her position seemingly eager to take care of the 'human'.

Yamamoto snorted mentally. 'That brat is anything but human.' He then looked at the short captain and boomed in the direction of his office, "Enter!" Sounds of jaw hitting the floor resounded as said human entered the room garbed in a variation of both shinigami garb and haori with the Royal Guard emblem on the back under which another emblem of a half skull half hollow mask in a flame could be seen.

As Ichigo expected, the Hornet really did cause a scene.

"YOU! Kurosaki Ichigo! What are you doing here dressed like that?!"

"You aren't happy to see me Captain Soi-Fon? Sniff..." Ichigo said with fake tears causing her eyebrow to twitch.

"Don't add 'sniff' at the end you human!"

Ichigo simply stuck out his tongue and made 'bleh' sound causing the captains to sweat drop at the scene further irritating the short captain who was on the verge of killing him much to his amusement. Ichigo them straightened up and said, "I am the Royal Guard that made the report on Kuchiki Rukia. My name is _Shiba_-Kurosaki Ichigo, the human that became a Royal Guard with five years of thorough training under said squad." He internally smirked seeing the gobsmacked expression on the face of every captain.

"Are you by any chance Isshin's son?" The thirteenth squad captain Ukitake Jushiro asked.

"Sadly yes. I am that sorry excuse of a shinigami former captain's son." Ichigo sighed out waves of despair rolling out of him causing some captains to chuckle.

"Captain Shiba is... alive?" Ichigo nodded at the shorter tenth squad captain.

"You know... you're sort of my older brother considering the fact that the manchild always saw you as his son." Ichigo said surprising his pseudo older brother.

"A-Ah... I see...?" Ichigo chuckled seeing the captain confused.

"Moving on... have you told them about the decision regarding the exiles?" Everyone perked up at the mention of the word 'exiles'.

"That bastard is still alive?!" Soi-Fon roared and then faced the captain commander. "With your orders I ca-"

"Silence Captain Soi-Fon! Allow Shiba-dono to explain the truth regarding the exiles a century ago." Yamamoto boomed as he glared at Soi-Fon.

"Right. A century ago..."

_ **Flashback end** _

He was brought from his reminiscing when his radar detected a powerful hollow presence heading towards his house. He suppressed his reiatsu and applied bakudo#26 Kyokko as he exited his room through the window. He found the hollow heading towards his twin sisters' room and followed it. There wasn't enough moonlight to allow him a proper visual of the lone hollow but he concluded that it was either a Vasto Lorde or an Arrancar judging by its size. He gritted his teeth as he realized who was behind this.

'Aizen…'

Curious he trailed its movement and found out it was an Arrancar and a female one at that.

He'd also noticed another hollow watching this from afar and concluded that the both of them were on equal footing but far cry from him in terms of power.

Just as she was about to touch Yuzu, he chopped her on the neck and caught her as she fell unconscious. He picked her up on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes and was about to flash towards Kisuke's shop if not for the three new arrivals.

"You!" The black haired one asked as she noticed Ichigo carrying Tier over his shoulder unconscious. He'd dropped the spell as soon as he was done knocking her out so as a result he was found out and cursed at his carelessness. "What do you think you're doing with Lady Harribel?!"

Ichigo scowled as he realized that he was caught off guard by fodder materials. The three surrounded him as he stepped out of the window.

"Hand her over now!"

"Or face our wrath!"

The olive haired one sighed and said, "If you don't want to get hurt then please do hand our master over to us."

Ichigo simply raised an eyebrow and said, "You do realize that your master was about to kidnap my sisters? So why shouldn't I take action to protect them?"

"That's because she was ordered to do so." The olive haired one replied.

Ichigo nodded and said, "I see. Hakufuku." As he finished, purple cherry blossoms started falling around them and slowly the three of them started to feel the effect of the spell.

"Argh! What the hell?! My head hurts!" The brown haired one asked.

"What did you do… you bas…tard?" The black haired one asked as she fell to the ground joining the brown haired one.

"A shi…ni…gami…" the olive haired one trailed off as she joined the other two as well.

Ichigo sighed as his father came in his soul form and asked what happened when he saw four Arrancars. As per norm he asked excitedly whether the one on his shoulder would be his daughter in law or not. The answer he got was a punch and an order to pick the other two up and he picked the olive haired one on his free shoulder.

Together they left for the shop.

* * *

From afar Ulquiorra watched as Tier entered the room but was later confused as to what was taking her so time to do her job.

Just as he was about to get close, he saw her fraccion arrive at the same spot and search for their master. He then saw the three of them arguing with someone and caught a glimpse of blond on the unknown figure's shoulder.

'So she failed…' he thought. He didn't dare go to her rescue. His orders were to just observe and with his job done, he opened a garganta and left.

* * *

Tier groaned as she woke up from her unexpected slumber. She remembered being ordered to kidnap two humans who were her lord's 'Pet Projects'. She also remembered being near her targets and just as she was about to grab the lighter haired one…

'I was knocked out! But who?'

As she looked around her, she found her three subordinates lying on the ground unconscious.

'Apacci! Mila-Rose! Sung-sun!'

She immediately rushed to them and checked their vitals. She sighed when she was able to conclude that they were simply knocked out. She also had her zanpakuto with her. But the question was, who caught her and what are their intentions?

"Finally awake I see." A male voice came from far behind her. She turned, hand immediately going to her zanpakuto as she did so and looked at the arrival. He was tall, taller than her shy of six feet and had a lean muscular body wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. The eye catching feature was the orange hair he had. "They are sleeping. Don't worry." She nodded, hands still on her zanpakuto. She trailed his movements as he sat atop a boulder and looked at her. "I have a few questions for you. Will you be kind enough to answer them? By the way I'm Ichigo."

Taking this her cue to introduce herself she situated herself on the boulder opposite to him and said, "Tier Harribel. Where are we? When did they get here? What are you?" She said the last part with narrowed eyes and edge in her voice. 'He seems relaxed as if I'm not a threat to him.' She concluded that he wasn't human judging by the small amount of unique reiatsu leaking from him.

"Hmm… we're in an underground basement used for training. They got here just as I was about to bring you here after knocking you out. As for what… why don't you guess?" Ichigo said and narrowed his eyes. "Since I was kind enough to answer your questions would you be kind enough to answer mine?"

Tier was a woman of honor and self-respect, and she had rudely interrupted him with her questions and he had even went as far as to answer her questions ignoring her rudeness, so it's only fair that she agrees, right? She knew he wasn't a human. His reiatsu had taints of both shinigami and hollow, so does that make him a hybrid? There's also a third taint in his reiatsu that she couldn't put a name to. The more she thought about him the more she was gaining interest in the young man in front of her. She pursed her lips under her mask and nodded getting a smile from the young man in front of her.

"Thank you. First question: What were you doing in my sisters' room and why?" He asked as he wrote the question under her name. He'd gotten a good look of her after coming to the shop even if most of her face was hidden under the collar. She had a figure that models would kill to get, an hourglass figure with tan skin and blond hair and eyelashes. He'd seen her aqua eyes as well and he'd be lying if he said his face didn't heat up for a moment.

"I was ordered by my lord to bring the twins to him. He had only told me that they were his pet projects and wanted to utilize their dormant abilities for the upcoming war." To her surprise, Ichigo had noted that down with a smile. She was even more confused to see the piece of paper atop a hard surface on his thighs. 'Where did that come from?'

Ichigo nodded and wrote down the answer with a smile. "Okay. Second question: What did you personally think of this mission of yours? Judging by your reaction to their lives not being in jeopardy I can tell that you're a caring person. So can I know what you thought about it?"

Tier noted one thing. He didn't call her a hollow but a person. Tier looked down and said, "I… didn't originally want to do this mission after I got the file regarding it but… orders are orders and I had to follow them. It… hurt to do this mission. I would be the one responsible for breaking a family that is already broken but is recovering and it isn't something that I agree with." She finished surprised that she had told so much to the young man before her whom she knew nothing about but being close to him made her feel safe. As if he wouldn't let anything happen to her. And he was kind as well.

"I see. You know, I've fought and met many hollows, specifically Vasto Lordes and Arrancars. They weren't like you. You have this protective aura around you similar to what a mother would have. You're not fit to be called a hollow. You've got a heart that others don't." He ended with smile and was pleased to see her shocked expression.

"Y-You've f-fought Vasto Lordes?!" She asked too shocked to keep her voice down waking her fraccion up.

"Argh! What the hell happened? My head hurts…" Apacci asked as she got up in a seated position.

"That damned orange haired bastard… he knocked us out…" Mila-Rose said. Ichigo rose his eyebrows as he noticed that they knew what happened. Normally targets don't have any idea of what had happened before blacking out but they did and concluded it being a hollow thing.

Sung-sun simply sat up and looked for her master and found her sitting opposite to the man who she knew knocked them out. She noticed a concerned expression on her mask covered face. Sung-sun knew her master and friend better than the other two. She could tell what her friend was feeling even if she hid them. She stood up and on wobbly legs walked to her friend. "Are you okay Lady Harribel?" She asked and saw her frown under the collar. She then looked at her previous assailant who was simply looking at them with a smile.

"Yo…sorry about earlier. Had to knock you out so that my sisters didn't wake up." He said as he ran his fingers through the small ponytail on his neck. "The name is Ichigo by the way."

Sung-sun narrowed her eyes and looked at her friend/master and got a nod. "I'm Sung-sun. Those two are Mila-Rose and Apacci." She introduced herself and the fighting duo.

"I see. What are your plans Harribel-san? Knowing Aizen, he wouldn't take kindly the fact that you failed in your mission. And there was also another arrancar watching you from afar but did nothing and left as soon as you were seen unconscious on my shoulder."

The four's eyes widened as he mentioned Aizen. Tier was told that failure wouldn't be tolerated and paled when she thought of her punishment. Being demoted from her ranks and used as a whore for other hollows.

"We'll be returning of course! Don't wanna stay here longer than needed!" Apacci said with Mila-Rose nodding in approval.

"We can't do that." Surprisingly it was Sung-sun who said that. "We'd be seen as weak for being defeated by a lone shinigami and Lady Harribel would be removed from her position as the Tres Espada." Tier nodded and looked down wondering what to do. She was torn between returning and asking this person for help.

"Hmm? You can always stay here." Ichigo began surprising them. "I mean by now she's probably been removed from her rank as an Espada and if she did return then who knows what might happen?" He finished with a shrug and waited for their answer.

"But why are you willing to help us? I mean I did try to kidnap your sisters, so why are you volunteering?" Tier asked with nods from her fraccion.

Ichigo scratched his head and said, "First is the fact that you're strong and we need all the manpower we can get to face off against that marble obsessed man. Second is that you were simply following orders and reluctantly so. You admitted feeling bad in doing so. Third is that you're very similar to me but different at the same time and besides… I believe you can complete your transformation."

Tier was surprised to hear his reasons judging by the fact that he stopped her just in time from harming his sisters and treated her with respect despite her previous action. Then the last part of his sentence rang in her head. "What do you mean by completing my transformation?" She got a smile from him which unlike Aizen's superior ones was real and gentle.

"Exactly as it sounds. You might be an arrancar but you have a heart. And the only things that are blocking you from unlocking it and gaining it back are the mask and the hole. You, only you can remove them and once again feel complete. The emptiness is still there isn't it?" He said all the while gently smiling at Tier.

When she thought about it, he indeed was right. The emptiness was still there and she sometimes _felt _emotions others didn't. She unconsciously ran a hand over her jacket where her mask fragment was as she thought about the possibilities that would be revealed once she regained her heart. She kept a hand over her left breast where her heart was supposed to be and took a deep breath. She looked at Ichigo and nodded with determination in her eyes.

Ichigo sighed and said, "You can still back out of you want. It'll be a painful process and it'll be more painful than anything you've ever felt before. You'd wish death over this pain. So I ask you, Tier Harribel again, are you willing to endure the pain and get this over with?"

Tier mock glared at him and said, "You speak as if you have done this before." Her eyes widened when she heard his reply.

"Of course. I had to do it to unlock my Resurreccion." He said with a smile as he got down the boulder and dusted his clothes.

Tier was gaping at him. "Not only did you fight Vasto Lordes, you also have Resurreccion?!" Her statement caused the other three to widen their eyes before the black haired one started laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHA! You? Resurreccion? Don't fuck with me. You're not a hollow to begin with nor an arrancar for that matter."

"Who'd fuck with you?" Mila-Rose asked ticking Apacci off.

"WHAT WAS THAT COW?!" Apacci roared as she butter her head with Mila-Rose's one.

"You heard me! Who'd fuck someone with a body like yours?" She laughed at Apacci's expression.

Apacci growled and pounced on Mila-Rose starting a fight with her causing the other two women to sigh while Ichigo chuckled.

"So Harribel-san what is your decision?" Ichigo asked as he stood before her.

Tier stood up and looked at him straight in the eyes even though she had to look up to do so. "I'm willing to do it and will endure it."

Ichigo looked at her for a moment before nodding. He stood up from his boulder and walked over to her and then lowered himself to her level and closed his eyes. He gently touched her temples and pressed his forehead to hers and felt her stiffen. "Sorry. Had to do it." She relaxed a bit and nodded. Ichigo then took a few deep breaths prompting her to do so with him. "It starts when I open my eyes and remember this: **Accept who you are now and who you were in your past. As long as you reject yourself, you won't come out of this trance and suffer endless pain. ****Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate."**

Tier's breath was taken from her as she heard him speak those wise words and and felt herself breathing rapidly. She was grateful that he didn't open his eyes yet. He was letting her calm down so that she doesn't fall into any kind of risky situation. She nodded with his fingers still on her temples.

Her eyes widened when he opened his eyes. His eyes were gold with black sclera. **"Look into my eyes… dive deep into your soul…"** as he was saying the lines, the black part of his eyes started peeling themselves off revealing the milky white layer and left his eyes golden-yellow as they moved to her eyes and started covering her sclera as well turning her ones black. **"… learn who you were, who you are and who you will be… and no matter the circumstances, accept yourself fully… only then will you regain what you've lost."** As he finished he saw her aqua on black eyes stare at him unfocused. He then gently laid her down and looked at Sung-sun as she looked more sensible of the bunch. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. This will take a few hours to end. The process will be done when the black of her eyes vanishes. Stay by her side even though nothing will happen to her."

Sung-sun saw the whole thing occur and wanted to stop it but knew how much it meant to her friend, so she watched everything happen while the other two continued fighting completely oblivious to what was happening. She nodded when Ichigo tasked her to look after Tier and placed her head on her lap.

"Good. My eyes won't be returning back to normal either as long as she's like that. I'll return when it's done. See you." He left the basement as she nodded and went up to talk to Kisuke and hopefully get some rest before she's done.

* * *

As soon as Ulquiorra had returned to report on what had transpired in the human world, all Espada were summoned in the meeting to know what had happened to the Tres Espada.

When the room was filled with the Espada, everyone save for Barraggan and Ulquiorra had been looking at the seat of Tres Espada wondering what had happened to her.

"I see you're confused as to what has happened to Tier Harribel." To this everyone save for Barraggan and Ulquiorra nodded. Even Stark the laziest of all Espada was paying full attention. Aizen continued, "She was sent earlier to the human world on a mission and she hasn't returned since then. Ulquiorra if you would…"

"Of course Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra said as he gauged out his eye and crushed it and the particles formed into a screen that showed what had happened in the human world.

None of them gave enough damn to care what had happened to her and so brushed her failure off like it was nothing.

"Hmph. As expected of a weakling like her." Barraggan said as he crossed his arms and sat in his position with his eyes closed.

"The visual showed that she was captured by the shinigami and if she was caught off guard then that means that shinigami is a threat to your plans is he not?" Stark asked surprising everyone that he bothered watching the whole thing.

"He isn't. Even if he is now, he won't be one as soon as the Hogyoku becomes active and the war is still far away." Stark nodded and slumped in his chair, another sane comrade gone.

Noitora grinned and said, "Finally! That bitch is gone! Hahahahaha! Serves her right! Surely this means promotions for us right Lord Aizen?!"

Aizen smirked and said, "Sadly not. I've already found her replacement and he's waiting for my permission to show up. You may come in."

The door opened and walked in a male arrancar. Everyone looked at him and saw that he was fairly tall, as tall as Noitora or more. He had a lean muscular body and midnight black hair that goes past his shoulders and had blood red eyes. His mask was plain and covered he half of the right side of his face from the forehead to just above his upper lip.

"Please welcome the new Tres Espada: Tsubasa Akiyo."

* * *

Tier didn't know how long she'd been fighting this younger albino doppelgänger of hers. One thing she knew was that this doppelgänger was the source of her past memories and it was proven when every time she got cut she was assaulted with glimpses of her memories and her head burst into pain. Surprisingly her doppelgänger stopped and looked at her with worry evident in her eyes.

Her younger albino doppelgänger wore a black turtleneck shirt with white trim lines running down vertically down her left side. She wore short white jeans that reached down to her thighs and folded up revealing black underneath and a pair of knee length boots. On her hand was the black version of her own zanpakuto yet it was longer and narrower than hers.

**"Come on Tia! Don't forget what Ichigo said! The more you draw this out the more you'll be hurt! It's already been three hours that you've been here. WHY ARE YOU REJECTING ME?!" **Her doppelgänger exclaimed as she lunged at her in a stabbing motion. She missed.

"What do you mean rejecting you?! You're trying to kill me!" Tier now named Tia remembered what she was actually called during her life as a human.

**"No I'm not!" **Her albino copy said as they got into another battle of skills. **"That's it! Hunt! Tiburon!" **Tia's eyes widened as she was blown back from the powerful explosion caused by the release. Her albino copy appeared in exactly the same outfit and a variation of same weapon but with inverted colors. **"La Gota!" **She dodged out of the way as the compressed and elongated water shark tooth passed by her. She noted that her albino copy was _much more _stronger than her.

Having left with no choice, she released her zanpakuto as well. "Hunt! Tiburon!" As she came out of the heart shaped water cocoon in her released state, she once again had to block the strike that came from her copy.

Her eyes widened when her albino copy placed her hand on her zanpakuto and fired a point blank La Gota. Her body and head burst in pain as her more memories came rushing back to her and she fell to the bottom of the ocean they were fighting in.

* * *

It had been more than three hours since they'd begun the process. Ichigo had napped for a bit and got down to check up on her.

As soon as he flashed by her side, he was assaulted by Apacci and Mila-Rose while Sung-sun glared as she held the bleeding and panting Tier.

"What the hell is happening to her you damned carrot-top?!" Apacci roared as she slashed at him.

"You said nothing will happen to her yet she is bleeding and is in pain!" Mila-Rose said as she shot a bala at him.

"It's a part of the process damn it!" He ducked and launched two Shitotsu Sansen at the two pinning them to the walls. "She's fighting herself instead of accepting! That's why she's bleeding!"

"What do you mean?" Sung-sun asked with a frown.

"She's going through her memories of her past life or more specifically the memories that caused her to give in to despair and become a hollow after death. As long as she fights herself, she won't be coming out of the depths of her soul."

"She's rejecting herself and is paying the price then?" Sung-sun asked and got a nod from him. 'What have you gotten yourself into Tier?'

* * *

Both combatants panted across from each other Tia more so than her copy. She thought back to everything that happened since she fell into this logic defying ocean. Her albino copy was younger and stronger than her. She could've killed her in any moment's notice yet she didn't and had returned pieces of her memories or precisely the ones that caused her transformation into a hollow after death.

Her copy's zanpakuto differed slightly from her one. The shark tooth like pata was narrower and sharper. The gill markings were five instead of three and had white thunder markings similar to those of her cheeks.

**"Do you know why we have same yet different zanpakutos?" **Her copy asked to which she remained silent. **"Because you're INCOMPLETE! You're rejecting me! As long as you reject me, you won't be complete! Think Tia think! Who am I?! What am I?!" **She lounged at her original once again in a stabbing motion.

Everything around her slowed as Tia saw her copy zoom at her with every intention to stab her. But why? She then thought about what her copy asked and everything clicked. Her copy was her and she was her copy. She was her and vice versa. She understood how she'd been rejecting her and thus let go of the oversized toothpick in her hand and spread her arms out. To her surprise as soon as her copy's zanpakuto passed through the centre of her chest, she felt no pain. Nothing. Her albino copy smiled and dug the zanpakuto deeper and hugged her.

"I'm sorry…" Tia muttered as she returned the hug. "… I feel no pain… why…?

Her copy chuckled and said, **"That's because you've accepted me and Tiburon's blade. I'm not her but simply the box holding all the memories of your despair locked away as soon as you became a hollow." **As she said that she slowly started glowing and became transparent.

"Where… are you… going…?" Tia asked tired from the fatigue of her earlier battle.

Her copy chuckled again and smiled. **"Simple. I'm going become one with you closing the hole and return your heart to you." **As she said that, she completely turned to reishi and was absorbed by Tia and Tia's head burst in pain as more memories came back to her.

* * *

Tia opened her bleary eyes and found the concerned face of Sung-sun above her. She closed her eyes and groaned in pain as she clutched her head.

"Lady Harribel!" The three of them exclaimed as she groaned. "Are you alright?" Apacci asked getting a stiff nod from her.

"Give her some space you three. In her condition now, she needs space." Ichigo said as he approached the group with a tray of food and drinking water in his hands. He smiled when the three reluctantly nodded and rested their slowly healing master against the wall. "How are you feeling?" He asked putting the tray and glass on the smaller boulder beside her.

Tia opened her eyes as Ichigo started applying kido on her and said, "I feel like shit." He fraccion gaped at her while Ichigo smirked.

"I know the feeling." Ichigo nodded as he saw all the wounds on her skin heal themselves under his care. He glanced to her zanpakuto and stared, "It changed." She nodded and glanced at Tiburon lying beside her.

Tiburon in her sealed state was now as long as a katana but a bit wider with the distinction of being completely hollow in the middle essentially consisting of nothing more than the edges.

"It's now complete." She stated as she ate the reishi food to replenish what has been lost in those hours.

"There… done. Have you checked whether you have the mask and the hole?" He said as he stopped healing her.

She stopped eating and immediately zipped open her jacket letting loose two mounds of tanned flesh and the hidden part of her face. Silence fell upon the five as it was revealed that she was _naked _above her waist with a _man_ opposite to her.

Both of them blushed as she zipped up (or down?) her jacket again hiding her melons while Ichigo looked away with a cough who was then kicked on the head by Apacci.

"How dare you violate her!"

While Apacci and Mila-Rose were busy stomping Ichigo, Sung-sun stood by Tia's side and noticed the same thing she did. Tia's hole was gone.

"So a success then?" She asked getting a nod from Tia. Her statement had ceased the other two's stomping and gathered around her.

As soon as Ichigo sat on the boulder across her she said, "Ichigo. Can I fight you?"

Ichigo rose an eyebrow and said, "Only after you take _proper _rest and regain your strength."

She nodded and got back to eating.

* * *

The next day, Ichigo came to the shop upon a strange sight. In the backyard Kisuke was tied to a crucifix in a big black pot of boiling violet liquid with his mouth taped and Yoruichi was laughing like crazy facing the sky with her hands raised with Apacci and Mila-Rose while Tia and Sung-sun watched. He coughed and garnered their attention. As soon as their eyes landed on him Kisuke started struggling against the binding and tried talking to him.

"Ichi-chan!" Yoruichi threw herself at him and he caught her like she was a cat, which technically was true. She kissed him on the cheek and took her position on him again like usual. "I've missed you!" She said as she rubbed her cheek with his.

"Yeah yeah anything new from Soul Society?" He had given them the apology letters and letters of pardon from the old man. They were asked if they'd return back to Soul Society something they turned down on spot. He had offered the Visoreds to join his squad. When they had rejected he had told them of its superiority over other squads and the fact that they'd be treated with respect of a captain or more. Even their pay would be more than the captains. They wanted some time to answer when he had put the final nail into the coffin saying that as a member of Squad Zero, he had banished Central 46 with the permission of the Soul King and he along with the Captain Commander would be making all the decisions Central 46 would've made. As a result he would have too much in his hands resulting in him being sick often. He was grateful that the next week they'd agreed to join his squad but told him that it was only for his sake and to make sure he didn't get too stressed. Family was important to them after all.

Yoruichi pouted and said, "Other than Soi-Fon having a heart attack and the SWA jumping in joy about the two of us, nothing. Oh and your squad barracks will take roughly two weeks to be completed." Yes the two had started dating a week and a half after his return when he'd accidentally stumbled into a drunk Yoruichi complaining to a badly bruised up Kisuke about him rejecting and ignoring her advances on him. She was actually crying even though she was drunk to the core. He had noticed in that time period after his return that she'd been hanging around him more often than not and made advances that one would make on their love interest. He'd brushed it off as her being playful again and that's where he was wrong.

The sight of a crying and drunk Yoruichi was too much for him, so he had hugged her and told her about his ignored attraction towards her. That had sobered her up. He then told her that if she didn't mind, then he'd like to give their relationship a shot to see how far it went. She was so happy that it it weren't for his instant regenerative powers of a hollow, he'd have had multiple ribs broken from the force of her hug. Her hug was so ridiculously tight that even his Blut Vene had strained to the max. And honestly speaking, he seemed to fall for the woman with each passing day.

"That woman's going to kill me the next time I return there." Ichigo sighed and asked, "Have you decided whether you'll return there with me or not?"

Yoruichi took a thinking pose despite hanging on his back and said, "Well I'd like to but the clan elders would force me into marriage and Yushiro wanted to see you as well…"

Ichigo raised his eyebrow and asked, "You want my clan elders to approach yours and get us married don't you?" All he got was a cheeky grin. "Hah~ so troublesome."

"Life isn't easy either Ichigo, so consider yourself lucky that you have Yoruichi-san to be by your side with every step that you take. And who knows, she could always act as your advisor and counselor besides the role of a lover or wife." Kisuke said as he dusted himself and sat on the ground beside the two leaving them to wonder when the man had freed himself.

"Oi! Get back here you creepy shopkeeper! We aren't done roasting you!" Apacci roared from her position as she along with Mila-Rose was tied in Sajo Sabaku. Tia and Sung-sun hadn't done anything knowing that what the shopkeeper had done wasn't to hurt them, rather to escape from their clutches.

Ichigo groaned and asked, "What did you do now?"

"I'm hurt!" Kisuke replied putting a hand over his heart with a shocked expression on his face resulting in him getting punched in the face along with… "My hat!" His hat was blown off by a weak Shakkaho in point blank range. He found his blown off hat crumbling to dust and sighed as he pulled out another hat and bowed to the hat turned dust.

"Rest in peace my friend." He said solemnly even though the same damned hat was in his hands causing Yoruichi's and Ichigo's eyebrows to twitch.

Tia approached the couple and said, "Apparently the three of them were 'getting along with each other' and things had gone downhill or if you'd prefer uphill after Shihoin-san joined the three."

"And you watched?"

"It was entertaining to say the least."

Tia and her fraccion were given reiatsu suppressing gigais along with soul candies so that they could explore the human world without raising suspicions from the Soul Society.

"Are you willing to have the spar now?" Tia asked Ichigo and got an incredulous look from Yoruichi to which she rose an eyebrow.

"Trust me when I say only a select few can get him to release his shikai or Resurreccion. And you'd only be downtrodden in the end."

"Then that's all the more reason to test myself against him. War is coming and since I've taken your side and thanks to Ichigo here I was able to become half hollow and half shinigami instead of an arrancar, so I also need to get stronger to properly utilize my now improved powers."

Yoruichi had heard from Kisuke what had happened the previous day when she returned and found the four resting. And like the perverted woman that she was, she immediately licked her lips and rubbed her thighs imagining the orgy she could have with Ichigo and the four Arrancars.

The couple nodded and asked her to follow them down to the basement to start their spar. They'd decide her training schedule depending on how this spar went and how her powers work.

"Oh yeah Yoruichi, make sure you buy Tia and the other three clothes to wear. Okay?" He paled when he saw her Cheshire grin return full force on her face.

* * *

_ **Omake** _

_ **Alternate Universe** _

_ **University life with a live in maid** _

_ **Chapter 1** _

Ichigo groaned slightly in his bed as sunlight suddenly hit his eyes.

"Master~ its time to get up!" A feminine voice came from his door. He ignored it and tried getting more of his precious sleep. The owner of the voice was a short petite long black haired woman with purple eyes in a maid costume.

"Hurry up and wake up or I'll pull a prank on you again okay?" She said as she shook him. "Are you okay with that?" Getting no reply she counted, "3…2…1…!"and bit on his earlobe instantly waking him up but she didn't stop. She licked his earlobe and said, "Master your ear… it's so delicious." He was too surprised and weak to resist the pleasure but was slowly building up energy to get rid of her only to have her lick the insides of his ear. "Does the insides of your ear feel good? Your reactions are so cute!"

He immediately shot straight up dropping her on the ground. "You! Stop messing around! I'm awake!"

"Kyaa! You're hard!" She said further embarrassing the younger boy who was her master. She stood up and turned around wiggling her butt in a suggestive manner and said, "Doesn't your lower half seem like it had awake for a long time?" She said pointedly looking at his groin as he tried to cover it up with his hands. "Would you like me to help you with it before breakfast?"

"Shut up!" Ichigo exclaimed trying in vain to suppress his morning wood and hide the blush much to his maid's amusement.

"Sheesh it's only morning and I'm already so tired." Ichigo said as he got ready to leave for university.

"Ichigo-chama! Take care on your way out!" She waved to his retreating figure with a blindingly genuine smile on her face.

'To think it had started a month ago…'

**One month ago…**

"Yeah yeah I've gotten used to university life." Ichigo replied to his father on phone as he reached his apartment. "Eh? You're worried so you sent a maid? No. I don't need it."

He stared in surprise as he opened the door to see a beautiful short woman dressed in maid costume making his bed. 'Geez selfishly giving her a duplicate key and letting her in…'

"Welcome home. I have already… went and organized my luggage…" she said with a somewhat nervous smile feeling like she was caught red handed.

She then rummaged through her belongings and pulled out two pink objects. "Sorry this is sudden right after we met, but where should I leave my toys…?" the objects were a vibrator and its controller.

"Just what did you bring along with you?!" Ichigo exclaimed with a blush on on his face as he leaned against the doorframe.

"I'm used to doing housework. I can even wash your underwear!"

"I would be fine if you left my underwear alone." He deadpanned.

"Ha! You must be worried about what happened to the bed?" She said as she stood beside him.

"What… are you talking about?" Now that he looked at it, it seemed to shine a bit.

"I have already replaced the bedsheets I have used earlier with clean sheets!" She stared pointing with her hand at the shining bed.

"Just what did you 'use' it for?!"

"Pardon my late greeting. Your father has hired me as a live in here." She said sitting on the opposite side of him.

"The 'live in' part… will be put on hold though…"

"It's because I'm too cute so you can't help but attack me right?" She asked bashfully with a hand on her cheek.

"Oi it's the other way around."

"Should I prepare the bed and change it into a double?" She said patting the bed. His apartment was rather small. A single room with attached bathroom and small kitchen with a dining table for two besides his study table.

"I really cannot care what you do with the bed!" He exclaimed as he looked at double bed which replaced his previous single one. "But what happened to my own bed?!"

Completely ignoring his question she said, "You can also treat my maid costumes as a play so it's totally fine!"

"Just what in the world is totally fine?" He asked horrified at the implications. "By the way maid-san… just how old are you?"

"I'm 22! The name is Rukia by the way." She said surprising him.

"Eh? You're four years older than me aren't you getting old?"

"…it seems you don't know the joy having a maid older than you." She said darkly as she suddenly pulled something out from under her skirt freaking him out. "Let me show you the ability of a well experienced person!" She said as she lounged at him.

"Wait! Oi! Don't touch- ahhh~"

And as such his life with this perverted maid had begun.

* * *

**I'm not that good at writing romantic stuff so I skipped and made short work of the joining of the two.**


	8. Moving into Soul Society

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Immigration

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Shiro"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

"Please welcome the new Tres Espada: Tsubasa Akiyo."

Every single Espada looked with wide eyes at the arrancar before them in fear. Why? They could literally see the spiritual energy wrapped around him like snakes poised to strike at a moment's notice.

The man impassively stared at them with harsh cold emotionless eyes that made even Ulquiorra flinch. The man scowled and, "Tsk… as expected of a bunch of fakes. Weaklings." He took his seat beside Stark and looked at Aizen intensely who started sweating. "You better not forget the deal." He looked around him and said, "The only reason I took the _third _rank is to be able to fight that man again. Your stupid illusions and hypnosis won't work on me. You've seen it fail earlier haven't you?" He ended with a smirk causing Aizen to slightly flinch though no one noticed it.

"Of course Tsubasa-san. I may not be trustworthy but I respect those who deserves it and thus I'll keep my end of he deal."

Baraggan being the arrogant one stood up abruptly and glared at Akiyo with one eye. "Who do you think you are you insolent brat?! You're in my presence! The ki-ack!"

Akiyo simply looked at Baraggan and as he focused his reiatsu on him he said, "You? The king? You can't even touch him and call yourself king? You're the brat over here." He kept on focusing his reiatsu on Baraggan choking the man and heatedly said, **"If you dare show that attitude to me again I'll crush you." **He clamped down on his reiatsu and smirked when he saw Baraggan cough and gasp for air. His smirk grew when everyone looked at him in fear.

Why? In the process of Akiyo's glaring, the SekiSeki stone table cracked.

Ulquiorra came out of his shock first and asked what has been going through their mind since the beginning. "E-Ex-cuse me T-Tsubasa-sama…" Even Aizen was shocked to see the emotionless Ulquiorra stutter in fear. When Akiyo looked at him, Ulquiorra gulped and continued, "…what did you mean by us being fakes?"

Akiyo nodded and said, "Glad you asked. All of you were forcefully made an arrancar by this fool over here thus you're fakes. Arrancarization is something _only _Vasto Lordes should be able to do. Take Primera over here. He like me is a natural Arrancar." He paused letting the info sink in. When Ulquiorra nodded he continued, "When a Vasto Lorde becomes an arrancar, said Vasto Lorde gains _every _single abilities a shinigami does. Such as…" he paused opening his hand and created a Shakkaho throwing Aizen off the loop. "...kido. Got it?" He smirked when he saw their dumbfounded expression on their face.

The silence continued on for a bit before Aizen asked, "How do you know kido?" He got a smugly superior smirk from Akiyo. He then continued, "No never mind how. I already know that." Aizen then asked, "How old are you?"

Akiyo's smirk widened, "Merely 800. The _very first _arrancar." Many jaws dropped and Aizen's smug smirk vanished.

Grimmjow being the stupid one exclaimed, "So that's why you called that old fart brat! Hahahahaha! But why the hell do you look younger than us?"

Everyone was expecting Akiyo to snap who instead simply smiled and said, "It's because I died when I was 16 during my human life. And I therefore took that appearance after becoming an arrancar."

* * *

The underground training basement was tense. Two combatants worlds apart in power and skills stood 20 meter away from each other staring into each other's eyes silently in their place. Those two being Tia and Ichigo.

Earlier they had decided that after this spar, Ichigo would fix a training schedule for her which she'll follow until the war in hopes of getting adjusted to her changes. He said he'd train her for ten days and then would leave for Soul Society, he'd been given a task by the others in his squad after all.

Around them were Tia's fraccion, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai with Jinta and Ururu. Since the two would take up her training they also decided to watch since it'd give them a rough idea about how the changes affect her fighting style.

"Both combatants ready?" Yoruichi asked to which she got nods from both. "You guys ready?" She asked Tia's fraccion since they'd jump in the fight to support their master against Ichigo. At first they had told her that it wouldn't be needed but some insistence from their master made them reluctantly agree to it.

"Yes… but still, four against one… isn't that a bit unfair?" Sung-sun asked to which she got incredulous looks.

"Even ten of us against him wouldn't be enough. Trust me." Kisuke said. The girls looked at each other and nodded.

"Girls, don't use Ayon here. He'll damage the whole property. Okay?" Tia said to which she heard groans but agreement from Sung-sun. "Good."

"Tia. Be prepared to cut me and don't hesitate for I won't. Understood?" Ichigo seriously asked to which she nodded.

"Begin!"

Just as Yoruichi exclaimed, blood sprayed from a diagonal slash on Tia's body. Her fraccion yelled and was about to rush in for support when she stopped them herself. She looked up and saw Ichigo standing in his position calmly observing her with blood dripping from his sword.

'When did he pull out the sword?!' Tia grunted in pain.

"Focus regenerating that wound." Ichigo said to Tia who focused and found her wound healed albeit with some time. "Now that we know it works, let's get serious." Ichigo's deadly calm voice and facial expression sent shivers down her skin.

Not willing to give Ichigo another chance to attack, Tia rushed and dashed in and launched an overhead slash at him which he deflected and cut her on the same place in just a split second making her retreat to her original position.

Having given her a chance to attack, Ichigo rushed in and horizontally slashed at her from her right which she was able to block at the last moment but was blown back. Ichigo followed up with another similar slash which she blocked again only to fly away deeper into the basement.

She rolled on the ground and got up in a crouch before raising her sword up with both hands just in time to stop an overhead slash, the force of which created a crater under her. With a grunt she broke the stalemate and jumped back as she focused her reiatsu in her blade and made a stabbing motion at him sending a yellow projectile far faster than she recalled.

"Ola Azul!" But much to her frustration he slapped the attack away without any damage. 'Probably because of his hierro.'

Ichigo had decided to use his hollow zanpakuto to fight against her and wanted to test his Resurreccion against her's though if she could force him into it or not was another matter.

Ichigo gathered reiatsu in his sword and launched a red tinted white nameless Getsuga Tensho.

Tia had to launch another Ola Azul to stop the Getsuga lest it hit her. Seeing that she won't be able to make any progress, she decided to use her Resurreccion.

**"Hunt, Tiburon!" **She was enveloped in a cocoon like heart shaped typhoon which she cut through and appeared in her Resurreccion. In the short time she had seen Ichigo's interactions with Yoruichi she was expecting the boy to be blushing but much to her disappointment, he stood there impassively watching her with a relaxed stance.

"He's not the same Ichigo you're fighting Tia!" She heard Yoruichi shout out to her. "He's the Royal Guard Shiba-Kurosaki Ichigo right now. So be ready to be disappointed many ways like this." Yoruichi finished grinning like a cat if they could do that to begin with.

Tia nodded and charged her blade with energy before clashing with Ichigo again. Just as the two got into a stalemate she released the energy stored in the blade and muttered, "Cero." The blast hit Ichigo point blank throwing up dust in the process. She jumped back just in time to avoid her head getting taken off of her shoulder.

Ichigo came out of the dust with half of his T-shirt gone revealing his rock hard abs and Tia suddenly blushed. She realized this and concluded that it was due to her heart returning to her.

"Hmm… that was a potent Cero, a nice way to get your opponents off guard, if they're arrogant that is…" Ichigo said taking a good look of himself and shrugged not caring shit about his T-shirt. "…something I'm not. I simply wanted to see its potency."

He then proceeded to do the same as her and stored red tinted black energy and flashed to her and with a clang met her huge sword. "Let's test your hierro. Cero." The explosion that followed up was quite big. Ichigo jumped back and blocked an overhead slash from Tia. He internally smirked he saw just a small cut on her body with the majority being a bruise which had already started healing.

"Thank you. My hierro seemed to be far stronger than it was." Tia said getting a nod from him.

She back flipped and stood in the air pointing the tip of her oversized shark tooth of a sword at him like a sniper rifle and said, "La Gota." A compressed water bullet in the form of a shark tooth rushed at him and like Ola Azul, it also had increased in speed and density.

This time Ichigo had to dodge the attack and was blown away when the compressed water bullet hit his previous position creating a large trail of cracks on the ground.

'Impressive.' Ichigo thought as he absentmindedly blocked an attack from Apacci who had failed to do it stealthily. He simply backhanded her away before grabbing Mila-Rose by her forearm and threw her at Apacci knowing that the two would bicker. Sung-sun on the other hand nearly had him but he wasn't a Royal Guard for nothing. He instead threw her at Tia who caught her safely.

"Forgive me Lady Halibel." Sung-sun stated looking at Ichigo who merely waited.

Tia nodded and calmly said, "Use your Resurreccion."

The three nodded and released their respective Resurreccions.

**"Strangle to death, Anaconda!"**

**"Thrust, Cierva!"**

**"Devour, Leona!"**

The three of them charged their respective enhanced Ceros and surrounded him. Ichigo simply let them launch it and at the last moment vanished and clashed in the air with Tia. The ceros connected with each other and detonated throwing everyone away.

While the three were getting out of their daze, Tia and Ichigo continuously clashed. Ceros and Balas were thrown and missed. Getsugas and La Gotas were launched canceling each other out. Most of the times Getsugas barreled through La Gotas and nearly hit Tia.

Tia backed away and pointed her sword upwards and large amounts of water spiraled around her. "Cascada." She calmly stated and launched the huge surge of water rushing at Ichigo who widened his eyes at the sheer size of the attack. The other three quickly moved out of the way stood around Tia in a triangular formation.

Just as the surge of water was about to hit Ichigo, he raised his sword pointing upwards and calmly said, **"Obliterate, Zangetsu." **The massive burst of reiryoku not only repelled but completely vaporized the surge of water causing steam to gather around him leaving only his silhouette visible.

The four widened their eyes when they saw the large silhouette and the menacing golden orbs staring at them. A bone white hand came out and swiped its hand revealing Ichigo in his Resurreccion form.

Hichigo opened his maws and let his breath come out as fog with a low growl. **"Good job on making me use my Resurreccion. But I'm afraid this is over." **They shivered in his double toned voice and braced themselves. Hichigo vanished and appeared behind the four and waited. He heard them yell in pain and three thuds on the ground. He glanced from the corner of his eyes and saw Tia panting behind him while clutching her sword arm as she slowly healed. Hichigo mentally praised the woman behind him and turned around to face her only to see a blush on her face and her rubbing her knees while healing. He snapped his fingers bringing her out of her trance.

She raised her sword diagonally widened her stance. Left foot in front and right foot back. She again charged a cero and rushed at him.

Hichigo also rushed at her with his sword glowing darkly from the black circuit lines.

Tia swung with both arms while Hichigo slashed with pure raw power at her with single hand. The swords connected and a small sonic boom took place with Tia flying and landing on the ground. She looked up with one eye at Hichigo who she could tell was smiling proudly at her under the mask. She searched for her fraccion and found them already being treated by Tessai. She sighed in relief but yelped when she felt big cold hands carry her bridal style and take her to Tessai. She looked up to see the now mask less face of Ichigo but the two black stripes were there along with the gold on black eyes. She fiercely blushed turning red and passed out with a trail of blood leaking out of her nose. She had unconsciously reverted back to her normal form while being carried by Ichigo.

Ichigo came out of his Resurreccion and gently handed Tia over to Yoruichi. "Little hornet of yours is here. I'm gonna go and deal with her." Yoruichi brightened up at the mention of her name and was about to open her mouth only to have Ichigo beat her to it. "You take care of Tia. Mayuri probably was able to detect her presence and wanted her for experimenting. I'm gonna talk with the old fossil about it as well." With that he sunk into his shadows and came out from Soi-Fon's.

He had clamped down on his reiatsu not letting the slightest bit come out to aware her of his presence. He walked a bit away from the confused captain searching for Tia and coughed.

"Who's there?!" She snapped with her hands on her zanpakuto. She calmed down to see Ichigo behind her and blushed furiously at his state. She looked down and asked, "Um… why are you…like that…?" She was busy not looking at his young toned body and for that she missed the amused smirk on his face.

Ichigo knew how she was feeling and shared the sentiment but pushed it down to take amusement from her blushing. He coughed and said, "I was sparring and came here when I noticed your presence. What brings you here _Captain Soi-Fon_?" He said in a voice that screamed authority and with him being the captain commander's senior, she had to speak of the truth, Though she had a feeling he knew.

She coughed and controlled her raging emotions and plastered her mask of a stealth force commander. She was surprised that he was able to sense her and wanted to hide it from him but judging by the slight upward curve of his lips she knew she failed. '_Nothing escaped his notice_.' She sighed and said, "Captain Kurotsuchi detected a powerful hollow signature and had the captain commander send me to deal with it and if possible capture it for-"

"Not happening."

"Huh?" She asked dumbfounded and flinched when she saw his cold eyes staring at her.

"The hollow has been taken care of. So **return to soul society and **_**await **_**further orders. **Am I understood?" He ended with a smile that screamed sadism.

Fearing his wrath she gulped and nodded. She immediately opened a senkaimon and with a quick bow ran through it. Truth be told she slightly feared him. During his stay in Soul Society the two were having a chat when suddenly Kenpachi appeared and demanded a fight. The following event scared her shitless and wasn't able to sleep that night. He smiled _very _sweetly at him and in a flash, blood sprayed from multiple cuts on Kenpachi and his limbs were all snapped and mangled in different directions with holes in the joints and he had passed out.

"I'll try bringing Yoruichi with me, okay?" He snickered when he saw the girl slip and bow at him again. He waved at her retreating figure and smiled as the gates closed. He sighed and sunk into his shadow and came out of Yoruichi's surprising her with a hug from behind.

"Ichi-chan…?" Yoruichi looked at him confused to see him tired. He was fine moments ago and now looked tired. 'Probably Soul Society.'

He looked over her shoulder and found the four sleeping. "Soul Society is such a pain~." He whined to her as he hugged her tightly from behind. "Wanna take a dip?"

She smiled and said, "You're surprisingly bold today."

"This is a one time offer. You in?" Yoruichi pouted and with a smile picked him up on her shoulder and walked off towards the spring.

* * *

As promised, from the next day her training had begun. Ichigo had told her that the ten days that he'll train her would be hell. She took it as a challenge and showed determination to become stronger much to his satisfaction.

Since she was properly used to hollow powers, he had decided to help her with faster regeneration and harder hierro. To his satisfaction and Kisuke's surprise she was able to use kido. He had taught her the higher levels one such as hados 32, 33, 73, 88 and 90; bakudos 8, 26, 30, 37, 61, 63 and 91. He had successfully taught her healing kido to the degree where she could heal minor and superficial damage.

Like him, she was also a fast learner and had gotten hold of everything rather quickly in eight days. The rest two days were spent on sparring and this time with his shinigami zanpakuto. She was able to force him into shikai once and that's where she fell. The release of his shikai was too much even for someone of her caliber but she didn't give up. So what if his shikai wasn't an easy one to handle? She could always keep on trying.

And thus his part of her training was done. All that was left was for her refinery of everything he had taught her with Kisuke and Tessai.

The evening of their spar that day was used in spending time buying clothing for Tia and her fraccion and much to Ichigo's ire he had to tag along. One man among five women. On top of that he had to be in the center with Tia and Yoruichi on his flanks and the other three behind them. Men glared at him with jealousy and he simply ignored them.

Funny thing, on their way home from the shopping, a bunch of thugs that came to pick a fight with Ichigo had tried touching them and before they knew it, their bones were broken and were lying in a heap of groaning and moaning mess. They all shared a laugh and it wasn't Ichigo who did it but the Tres Bestia.

And now, Ichigo and Yoruichi along with the Visoreds, his friends and family had come to see him off. His father had decided to stay in Karakura town even after the war because he wanted his daughters to live a human life which was robbed from Ichigo because of their mistakes. On top of that, Ichigo had come clear with Tatsuki about his matters regarding the supernatural and as he expected she wanted to join him as well. Just focusing seventh seat level reiatsu was enough to acquaint her with the ground and she relented.

"Alright guys, see ya!" With that Ichigo, Yoruichi and the Visoreds were gone into the Shiba's personal senkaimon to Soul Society.

"Can't say I'm happy to return to this place." Shinji muttered as they stepped out of the senkaimon into the Shiba manor.

"Well… the Central 46 no longer exists with my squad and captain commander here. We're the ruling bodies from now on." Ichigo said with a shrug.

"WELCOME HOME SHIBA-SAMA!" The entirety of the Shiba clan roared as soon as they saw him.

"I'm home!" Ichigo exclaimed with a smile. His squad was a bit surprised to see how he was calling Soul Society his home. "Everyone! Meet my squad members! My lieutenant Shihoin Yoruichi and my Rukongai officers Hirako Shinji and his lieutenant Sakuragi Hiyori for the West; Muguruma Kensei and Kuna Mashiro for the East, Aikawa Love and Yadomaru Lisa for the North and finally Rojuro Otobashi and Ushoda Hachigen for the South."

The Visoreds did not get the reaction they had expected.

"Welcome back former captains and lieutenants!" Every one in there exclaimed and bowed. "Forgive us for our insolence all those centuries ago!"

Shinji being the de facto leader bowed back and said, "Thanks. It ain't yer fault to begin with so don't apologize."

Each side nodded and got inside the manor to freshen up. Once they had lunch, Ichigo had lead them to the headquarters where he showed them the meeting room and cafeteria along with training grounds and barracks for new squad members.

Each of their offices were branches of the headquarters of Squad Zero: Seireitei Branch. All respective officers went to their destined offices in the 25th district of Rukongai.

Their main objective was to make sure that the Rukongai was changed and made better from the eightieth to where the better ones started.

Their squad could only select or invite students from the academy. They neither accept transfer requests nor fresh graduates, only those that have potential.

Since the war was four months from now on, he was tasked by his superior officers to train a select few individuals due to their potentials.

And thanks to his return, a Captains' meeting was to be held and also for discussion about the hollow that had appeared two weeks back in Karakura town.

Ichigo and his lieutenant/lover Yoruichi immediately went to the meeting and stood beside Soi-Fon, their position decided by Ichigo himself much to Yoruichi's excitement.

"Let the meeting begin!" Yamamoto boomed as he slammed his cone. "First of all, Welcome back Shiba-dono." He and Ichigo nodded to each other before continuing. "I was told by Captain Soi-Fon that you've dealt with the hollow is that true?"

Ichigo nodded and said, "Yes it is." Yamamoto nodded and was about to continue if not for a certain clown.

"What do you mean 'dealt with'?! I wanted that Arrancar for experimenting!"

"Exactly the reason I dealt with it earlier." Ichigo said without missing a beat.

"What?!"

"Silence Captain Kurotsuchi! You're speaking to your superior!"

"Him?! My superior?! A mere neanderthal like him is my superior?! Don't kid with me!"

"Ara is that so?" Ichigo said with closed eyes and that very sweet smile that made both Soi-Fon and Kenpachi to visibly flinch. He then opened his eyes and focused a bit of his reiatsu on him and the effect was as he expected. "As expected of a creature like you. A mere fifteenth of my power can crush you. Do you really think I got this position for nothing? Hmm?" He continued with that sweet tone and smile. "Just so you know… if you dare _think _of disrespecting me or those under my wing and jurisdiction, then _**I won't hesitate to kill you war be damned. **_Am I clear to you?" He reeled in his reiatsu as soon as the man grunted in agreement.

As soon as the man stood up, he fell ungraciously to the ground and started trembling with wide eyes full of fear and eventually passed out.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi." Ichigo called out to which said lieutenant picked her captain up and with a bow left the room. "Moving on…" Ichigo said gathering everyone's attention. "… I've been tasked to train a select few for the next three months. They are: Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro, Lieutenant Abarai Renji of Squad Six and unseated member of Squad 13 Kuchiki Rukia. These three have great potentials and thus I've been tasked to train them." Ichigo told Rukia's name while slightly glaring at her brother who did a good job once again in putting on his poker face.

"I see… can I know why Captain Hitsugaya has been asked to be trained as well?" Yamamoto asked stroking his beard.

"Of course. Daiguren Hyourinmaru has not been matured yet due to its wielder's childlike body and thus have been tasked to make sure it matured before the war."

Yamamoto hummed and nodded. "Very well. The aforementioned are excused of their duties for the following months before the war. That is all." He slammed his cone and left the meeting room. As all the captains were leaving, Yoruichi pecked Ichigo on the cheek before kidnapping a very pleased Soi-Fon to who knows where.

Ichigo had told the squirt of a captain of the tenth, pineapple head of the sixth to be at his office in the morning by seven who nodded and left. He was then approached by captains Kyoraku and Ukitake.

"Ichigo-kun! Wanna grab a drink?" Kyoraku said with his casual laid back attitude while Ukitake chuckled.

"Drink? No. Tea? Yes." Ichigo answered to which Kyoraku pouted and Ukitake laughed.

"Let's go to my division then. You should tell Rukia the news yourself since she's your friend."

"Hmm I was planning to go see her anyway."

The three flashed to the 13th division captain's office and sat on the couch and chairs. Ukitake on the way had asked Rukia to bring tea for him and Ichigo while Kyoraku pulled out a sake cup and bottle from the insides of his flowery kimono.

"Won't your lieutenant kill you?" Ichigo asked having heard the rumors of the eighth division lieutenant's no nonsense attitude. "Speaking of which, where is she?" Hearing the nervous chuckle of the captain he sighed, "You dumped her didn't you?"

"Hehehe~. Maybe…?"

Ichigo shook his head in amusement while Ukitake laughed.

"By the way, how's your health captain Ukitake?"

"Oh please Ichigo-kun, just call me Jushiro. And I've been doing better than before."

Ichigo nodded and a knock resounded on the door.

"Come in!"

"Here's your tea captain Ukitake." Rukia said as she brought the tray. "Oh hey Ichigo. You're back."

"Yup. Good to see you too midget." Ichigo said with a smirk amused at the strained smile Rukia had on her face. Just as she was about to retort he continued, "Oh yeah. Be at my office tomorrow at seven. You'll be training with Toshiro and Pineapple head starting from tomorrow."

"Alright berry. I'll be there. Anything else?"

"Why don't you join us? Rukia-chan?" Kyoraku said.

"Eh? N-No! I mean wouldn't I be intruding?" Ichigo simply looked at her blankly. "What?"

"Wondering if you're stupid. He invited you because you wouldn't be intruding you midget."

"O-Oh… I see… I'll join as well then." Rukia said as she sat beside Ichigo.

"So Ichigo. Mind telling us why they're being trained by you?"

"Well…"

"Other than potential of course."

"It's because…"

* * *

In the next morning, the three had arrived at the headquarters and were shocked to see how it looked like. It was at the place the chamber of Central 46 was supposed to be and the structure was shocking to say the least. A square two story building of pure black with red highlights and trim lines stood before them. On the doors was the insignia of Squad Zero: Seireitei Branch. It was a half skull and half hollow mask both missing their lower jaw inside a flame. The surprising thing was that the red trim lines sometimes changed to blue then white and gold before returning back to red.

Judging by the glossy look of the building they concluded that it was made of marble.

"No use standing here. Let's go. Shiba-dono did say to be present in his office by seven." Toshiro said as he knocked on the doors. The black marble door suddenly had white lines crisscrossing vertically and horizontally before opening from the middle with a click. Toshiro walked in with Rukia and Renji in tow.

When they walked in, they were standing with wide eyes and mouth. From the outside it looked small but inside…

"It's huge…" Toshiro said awestruck.

"Isn't it?" A voice came from them making them turn in flash with their zanpakutos drawn. "Good to see you guys being on guard despite being awestruck." Ichigo said with a smile.

They sheathed their zanpakutos and took a good look at him. He wasn't wearing the shoulder padded haori. Instead he was wearing a lab coat with glasses on the bridge of his nose in perfect balance. Under his right arm were what seemed like files to them and the front pocket had pens and pencils along with a notebook.

"So what do you think of this place?" Ichigo asked moving his arm in an arc.

"This is amazing Ichigo. We were completely fooled!" Rukia said.

"Is this design taken from the human world? Not only is it beautiful from the outside it is the same inside as well." Toshiro asked still in awe of what was in front of him.

"I've never seen something so beautiful…" Renji breathed out.

It was normal for them to react like the way they did. After all… you don't see a transparent roof like this one in whole of Soul Society. Not to mention that it was huge as well. There was a garden at their opposite end where pet animals were playing around. There was also a Sakura tree there under which was a shade that looked way too comfortable. A few meters away from it was a koi pond. The roof above them was transparent allowing them the sky view and surprisingly they could make out the sun without squinting their eyes. They couldn't feel any heat nor cold. The temperature was something between the two. The floor they were standing on was of black marble with white, blue, red and gold colors racing from one end to another.

"I see. Thanks. It wasn't like this yesterday."

They took a few seconds to realize what he meant and Rukia asked, "What do you mean it wasn't like this yesterday?"

"Exactly as it sounds. I was working on this last night and finished it an hour ago." Ichigo said with a shrug throwing the three out of the loop. "You can take a walk in the garden. Your training starts at half past eight." Ichigo said and turned walking towards what they thought was his office.

"Wait! Weren't we supposed to start at seven?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes but it will start from tomorrow at seven. Enjoy the scenery while you can. Because…" here he smiled sweetly and continued, "…you'll be stuck here for the next three months. You'll eat, sleep and train here. Your hell trip begins at half past eight so enjoy~." With that he walked away to his office preparing their training schedule.

The three gulped and walked into the garden. "Let's enjoy what time we have for now, he is a man of his words after all." Rukia said as she started playing with a rabbit. Cats surrounded Toshiro and meowed trying to get his attention. He crouched down and petted them, his scowl gone replaced by a soft smile and Renji was being chased around by puppies. None of them were aware that Ichigo was watching them.

After a while when it neared half past eight, a black cat with golden eyes came and said, "You three. Come, Ichigo has called." The cat then turned around and walked towards the office.

The three simply stood blankly trying to process what was happening. A talking cat.

Toshiro shook his head and grabbed the two as he followed the cat. He wouldn't have followed the cat if not for the dress it wore along with the lieutenant badge.

Toshiro then walked beside the cat and asked, "Your lieutenant Shihoin aren't you?" He got a nod from the cat which brought the other two back to the present from wherever they had went to.

"The cat talks!" Renji exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Took him long enough…" Yoruichi grumbled as she opened the door with her paws and trotted in with the three in tow.

They once again were shocked when their eyes landed on the room Ichigo was in. Ichigo sat behind a semi-circular table. On his right was a big black glowing rectangular box something Ichigo was staring at. Beside the box was another similar but narrower box that seemed to glow from the inside. Beside it was another weird box that held paper on top slanted outwards. Rukia concluded that those three were a whole computer set with a printer. On the left side of the table was a blood red rack with books in it beside another bigger black box which Rukia concluded to be TV. There was another smaller box in the far end under a wall closet holding various objects in it. Behind Ichigo was a one sided view window that gave him proper view to the garden. They were embarrassed out of their wits as they realized that he was able to see them in the garden.

On the far end of the room on their left was another rack holding files instead of books in a language they didn't understand. On the opposite side was a big picture frame that showed many people, some known to Rukia and it looked like it was drawn recently. Rukia then remembered that Ichigo could draw very well so the picture must have been drawn recently.

"Hmm…" they heard Ichigo hum while he was going through a file. He snapped it close and stood up. He waved a hand over the rack of files on the wall to their left and to their shock the whole wall shifted around to show his set of clothes. He hung the lab coat he was wearing and put the glasses in a box that was already there and wore his haori. He waved again and the wall shifted around to show the rack of files. He crouched down putting a hand on the ground. They heard a snapping sound and Ichigo stood back up again and stepped back as the stairs to the underground appeared. He then absentmindedly said, "Follow me…" and kept on walking down the stairs followed by the other four.

A few minutes later, they stood before five massive gates the size of the building.

"Alright. Lieutenant Abarai Renji enter room number one. Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kuchiki Rukia enter room three. Wait for me there. I'll be there as soon as I'm done instructing him." They nodded and entered their assigned rooms. Ichigo followed after Renji and entered room one.

"Okay. Your first task will be to prove yourself to Zabimaru that you're worthy of its shikai and bankai." Seeing as Renji was about to protest he continued, "I know everything about the zanpakutos of captains and lieutenants including some lower ranking officer and those without. So don't think you can lie to me." Renji sighed and nodded. "Good. Now enter your inner world and settle matters out with Zabimaru." His part done Ichigo turned and walked away to room number three.

He entered the room and found the two taking with Yoruichi about something.

"Alright. Now the two of your task will be to improve your physical body. Both of you have the bodies of a child and thus have less durability. Therefore for the next three weeks you'll be doing rigorous workouts."

"What exactly is your plan Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked raising a paw.

Ichigo smiled sweetly and said, "Simple. I'll break them. Teach them. And at the end of the day repair them for the next three weeks. After that, it will be a life and death situation for all of them." Ichigo's smile widened when he saw the two of them pale. "Now then, let's begin your training shall we? Hehehehe~"

* * *

_ **Omake** _

_ **Alternate Universe** _

_ **University life with a live in maid** _

_ **Chapter 2** _

"It has been one month since I served master huh…?" Rukia wondered while folding clothes. "Looks like I've gotten used to working as a maid."

She then proceeded to clean the floor and while doing so she peeked under his bed. "Ero books under the bed…there is none." After a bit of searching she sighed. "He doesn't have porn either. Just how does he survive?"

Picking up her mobile, she then searched various social networking sites and found that her master likes sushi. So she got down to work in making sushi and after a while she was done she decided to go to her master's university causing her master to shiver subconsciously.

* * *

It's been two months since he enrolled and he was quite thankful that no one picked up a fight in him because of his hair.

Rukia on the other hand arrived outside his classroom and found him shivering in the middle of his lecture. 'Master! Is he trembling from wanting to see me so badly?' Woman, get yourself checked by a doctor.

After the lecture, just as she was about to call out to her master, a blonde had approached him blocking her out.

"Sorry have you seen a pencil case around here?" Rukia heard the girl speak.

Ichigo shook his head and replied, "No I haven't."

"I see… thank you." Just as the blonde turned, her bag collided with his and much to his horror, a familiar toy fell to the ground. "Kya! Sorry!" She exclaimed as she saw him scowling at an object that fell to the ground.

'That bitch…!'

Rukia then turned around and thought sadly, 'What should I do? Because of that thing, master will end up even more of a loner…!'

The girl then handed the fallen object over to him and said, "I'm sorry. I accidentally dropped something of yours."

Ichigo simply took it from her and nervously smiled as he put the object in his bag and thought the same thing Rukia did. 'Don't tell me she has no idea what this is…! Thank god she doesn't!'

"It'll be hard without any writing instruments right…? Want me to lend you a mechanical pencil?" Ichigo offered.

"No it's fine! I've already borrowed from a friend of mine." She said and smiled, "I'm not even sure if we might meet again but I will feel bad if I can't return it. But you really are kind!"

Ichigo blushed and glared at Rukia who was eavesdropping from a bit far away making her gulp and smile. "No… it's not really…" he then replied to her statement with his face away from her glaring at Rukia.

As for Rukia, the woman was confused at the scene of her master and an unknown beautiful girl with flowers blooming behind them as the two conversed. 'Eh? Eh? What's up with the atmosphere?'

"That red and white pencil box of yours was cute. Maybe I'll buy one too!" The blonde girl said as she walked away from him out of he class.

"Eh? No that was not a pencil case…" Ichigo muttered as he stood up as he found no signs of his midget maid.

Rukia hid herself outside the classroom in a corner and saw the blonde leave. 'I wanted to speak up but I guess that would've been awkward.' She then turned and walked towards to gate losing her mood and wanting to see some *cough*videos*cough*.

"Just what the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo's voice came from behind her.

'I was found out…!'

**To be continued…**


	9. Calm before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo here will be referred to as 'Head Captain' while Yamamoto will be regareded as 'Captain Commander' as seen before. This is because 'Squad Zero: Seireitei Branch' is a different organisation compared to 'Gotei 13'. The ruling bodies are Ichigo and Yamamoto due to Central 46 being disbanded.

**"Juha Bach"**

_ **"Shiro"** _

_"Aka-nee"_

_"Ao"_

"Talking"

'Thinking'

* * *

Ichigo was impressed with the pace that the three were progressing. Renji had taken three days to prove himself to Zabimaru and then was tasked the same thing the other two were given.

50 push-ups, 50 squats, 50 sit-ups and running one end of the field to other by 5 minutes _physically _covering a kilo. This went on for the three for two weeks straight with an hour break for lunch and snacks beforre turning in for the night.

By the end of the two weeks, they had lost weight and had a boost in muscle mass. This should've been expected from the amount of inhuman training they did.

He had given them a whole day break for recovering from the hell they had gone through by personally cooking for them. To his pleasure they had eaten everything. He to this day still thanked Hikifune and his mother for teaching him how to cook every kinds of food. Cooking had been one of the lessons he had learnt from the bunch.

He looked through the window of his office at the sight of the three relaxing under moonlight with the animals. He noticed that Renji and Rukia had started getting along as well. Before, they had a line between them that prevented the other from approaching the other and now it was gone.

'Thank god they made up.'

Yoruichi was in her cat form curled up on his lap sleeping as he petted her. He was kind of glad that she was here for him. Training them had turned out to be harder than he had expected and ended up tired most of the times. Other than physically training them, he had to make sure they didn't tear any kind of muscles, so he had to treat them everyday at the end of the day.

'Tomorrow their real training begins.'

He sighed and carefully cradled Yoruichi in the crook of his arms and headed inside his bedroom to turn in for the night.

* * *

Rukia had never been this tired before. When she was told of the training regime for the first two weeks, she had literally fainted and was roughly woken up by Ichigo. She was scared shitless when she had seen the scowl on his face.

She was reminded that the one she was seeing was not her friend but their trainer Ichigo. At the end of the day he had told them that he would be like that during training hours and had apologized as well for the rough treatment as well. She had gladly accepted his apology and said that it was fine because if he hadn't then she would'nt have taken the whole thing loosely.

She had noticed the increase in her muscle mass and had a hard time recognizing her own body. She was glad and relieved that she and Renji had made up and the tension between them no longer present.

"So what do you think he'll train us on tomorrow?" Renji asked pulling Rukia out of her reminiscing.

"I don't know actually. When I was in the living world with him, he had taught me some hand to hand combat moves and polished my skills with the sword albeit with a wooden one." Rukia said with a shrug.

"No wonder you were able to fight on par with me..."

"No use thinking over it. We'll find out tomorrow and who knows, it might be tougher than what we did the past two weeks." Toshiro said as he stood up and dusted himself. "For now, let's go to sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow."

The three nodded and went to their borrowed quarters to turn in for the night.

* * *

Ichigo stood opposite to his three students and observed the changes. He was satisfied with what they achieved the past two weeks and decided to proceed with the next stage. He coughed in his hand and said, "For the next four weeks, I'll be polishing your Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho and Kido. After that will begin your final stage of your training. Any questions?" Seeing as they had none, he continued, "There are a lot of things that the academy teachers don't teach you. They don't teach you the deadliest and quickest methods of dealing with your enemies. For example in Zanjutsu, I'll be teaching you a move that will end the fight as soon as it begins. This move will allow you to bisect your enemy in half and whether it's vertically or horizontally depends on you. In fact, you can even blast out your opponent's heart without them knowing. Such is the deadliness of Zanjutsu."

He paused to let the information sink in and continued. "In Hakuda, you can _crush _your opponents with bare fists to paste for example Raioken or Thunder King Fist. You can even tear up a hole in them with _a single _punch or obliterate them with a single _double fisted _punch. These two are Ikkotsu or One Bone and Soukotsu or Two Bone. However for all these to create the desired damage, you need to learn how to channel your reiatsu to your fists and form invisible gauntlets or if you're like Kenpachi then brute force is enough to destroy a whole structure. Am I clear so far?"

Toshiro raised his hands and asked, "Why aren't we taught these in the academy?"

"It's simple. Your teachers of now are nothing but dust compared to the teachers of nearly a millennia ago. Your teachers as of now are nothing but fodder materials and thus aren't in any squads in the Gotei 13. They just don't have the enough amount of reiatsu and physical prowess to attempt these properly since they require heavy precision."

Toshiro satisfied with the answer nodded and stepped back.

"These moves that you talked about, were they taught to you by Squad Zero?" Rukia asked having been curious of his teachers.

Ichigo shook his head and said, "No. That crazy bunch just polished them. I was taught them by former Shihoin clan head Yoruichi and my father. Toshiro here is well acquainted with my father so he knows how dangerous the man can be." To this Toshiro nodded convincing Rukia that the manchild was actually worthy of the position of a captain.

"But why is your father so… childish?" Rukia asked shivering as she recalled his childish habits of hugging her out of nowhere and announcing her as his third daughter.

Toshiro and Ichigo both sighed before the latter answered, "It's a common trait that all Shiba possess. Thankfully I don't have it since I've taken much after my mom." He ended with a shrug.

"Moving on, in Hoho, if you're fast enough you can leave speed clones of yourself confusing your enemies and escape certain deaths. And there's nothing much to talk about Kido so that's it for the briefing. Let's start."

"First week, we'll focus on Hakuda. Let's start with Ikkotsu." Ichigo snapped his fingers and huge boulders appeared in one straight line. He smirked when he saw their gobsmacked reaction. "There are approximately 20 boulders. Now see carefully what I do. First, channel your reiatsu through your body and spread them equally. After that increase the reiatsu flow to one of your fists. With that done take your stance. Cock your fist and make sure you punch in a straight line so that the reiryoku enhanced punch can create a perfect circular hole in these 20 boulders at once." He then showed them the procedure. With a grunt he punched at the centre point of the first boulder and the shockwave of the punch threw the other three backwards. "Now take a look."

The three did as told and their jaws fell to the ground. A perfect circular hole that went through every single boulder giving them a clear view of the other side.

Ichigo snapped his fingers and 30 boulders appeared, ten in three lines. "Your job is to perfect this or reach near perfection by tomorrow midnight. Good luck!" With that he flashed back to his office leaving the three pale and frozen in their place.

"We'll be doing that in two days?!" Renji yelled pulling his hair.

"Be grateful that he's given us ten instead of twenty." Toshiro said as he took his position in the middle with the other two on his two sides. 'Alright let's do this.'

* * *

"So this is his office?"

"It seems like it."

"But I don't remember it being like this."

"Neither do I."

Currently two captains of Squad eight and 13 along with the lieutenant of Squad eight were standing outside the gate of Squad Zero: Seireitei Branch in hopes of meeting Ichigo and hopefully learn the progress of the three trainees.

Kyoraku from the corner of his eyes noticed a board with the outline of a hand beside the gates. Wondering what it was he got closer to it and raised his hand.

"What are you doing Shunsui?"

He stopped and looked over at his friend who stopped him in the last moment. "Just curious about what this is. Hehehe…" he then placed his hand on the outline and…got electrocuted before being blasted backwards with swirls in his eyes and smoke coming out of his body.

"Shunsui!" Ukitake rushed over to his friend and checked if he was okay and to his relief as Nanao confirmed that he was. He sighed and was about to reprimand his friend if not for the laughing sound coming from a rooftop. The three glanced over to the rooftop of the building opposite to the one they wanted to enter. The one laughing was…a black cat garbed in orange, black and white with the lieutenant badge on its back as it rolled over laughing in its place.

"Hahahahaha! I knew it! I knew it! Pfft! I knew you'd go for it! Hahahahaha!" The cat which he now recognized as Yoruichi kept on laughing pointing one of its paw at Shunsui. "That's a biometric scanner _only _for squad members and for security measures. Hehehe."

Shunsui pouted and stood up with the help of his friend. "Jeez Yoruichi-san you should've warned me."

"If I did then we would've missed this sight. Hahahahaha!" Yoruichi calmed herself down and hopped down before standing on a platform of reishi on the same level as that of the scanner and put her paw in the centre of the large hand print. The hand print glowed purple before the gates silently opened. "You came here to see Ichigo right? Follow me." She said and walked in with the other two captains following her.

As soon as the two entered the building, Ukitake's jaw, Nanao's book and Kyoraku's straw hat fell to the ground.

"H-How?" Nanao choked out as she took in the interior of the building. "How is a garden larger than the building is present here?!"

"It's beautiful…" Ukitake sighed out with a smile as he took in the scenario. He noticed that despite the rooftop being transparent with the sun glaring at them, the place was surprisingly less hot than it should be. No, more like it's in between hot and cold.

"True. But how is this possible? I mean the building looks smaller compared to this from the outside." Kyoraku said dusting his hat.

"Ichigo changed the interior over night before the kids' training." Yoruichi answered as she trotted towards his office.

"Wait. Ichigo-kun changed this place was overnight? How?" Ukitake asked confused as to how such a feat was possible.

"He's the student of Kisuke Urahara remember? He's just as much of a scientist that fool is. And besides, he's a great cook as well and is well versed in the medical department."

"Just like Captain Unohana?" Nanao asked.

"Hmm… not exactly. He can heal wounds kido cannot. He can surpass Unohana heck he even surpassed Mayuri. But he can't do operations like Unohana so no he hasn't surpassed Unohana. That or he forgot to tell me about it."

The three were surprised to hear such accomplishments of a teen not even the tenth of their age.

"How many years did he exactly train Yoruichi-san?" Ukitake asked curious about the youngest shinigami that's their superior.

"Approximately five years. We're here." She pushed open the door with her paw and announced her presence. "I'm back Ichigo with guests!"

The trio followed after Yoruichi still in her cat form into the room and found Ichigo working with glasses on. They noticed the glowing boxes on either side of him and racked their brain to remember what they were.

"I know. I've seen the whole thing." Ichigo said without looking up. He put his pen and glasses down and said, "Welcome to my office you three. Take a seat." He pointed to the chairs opposite to him.

They nodded and sat down on the chairs while Yoruichi made herself comfortable on Ichigo's lap.

"So what brings you here?" Ichigo asked cutting to the case.

"Jeez can't we drop by to check on our friend?" Shunsui said with a lazy smile as he pushed his hat up a bit.

"Not exactly your friend but your superior…" Nanao silently mumbled unaware that Ichigo heard it.

"Yes you can. Sorry about asking. Anything new?"

"Yes actually. A captains' meeting will be held in an hour to discuss of our finding." Ukitake said turning serious.

"It seems that Aizen plans on creating the Oken to enter the Royal Realm and kill the Soul King. And to create the Oken-"

"100000 souls in a spiritually rich zone must be sacrificed which happens to be Karakura town. Right?" Ichigo concluded surprising the three with how well informed he was. "Don't worry. Kisuke has taken preparations to replace Karakura town with a fake one to make sure the real one doesn't take any kind of damage." Ichigo said as he continued petting Yoruichi making her purr in pleasure.

"Well you're quite well informed. How's that?" Kyoraku asked genuinely curious as to how the teen was so much aware of his surroundings despite the massive workload he has on his shoulders making the man feel guilty for his laidback nature.

The library was moved to the security under Squad One and under the orders of the Captain Commander the three had checked up everything to find out Aizen's plan.

"During my time with Squad Zero, Hyousube made sure I know _everything _about Soul Society and every single events in the last thousand years. So yeah, the fact that a fool like him would aim for something so clichéd wasn't that hard to find out."

"You're a walking Library…" Kyoraku muttered as he slumped in his chair pouting as he realized that all of their hard work was for naught. "If you knew about this then why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"And have you become lazier than you already are?" Ichigo deadpanned causing the others to laugh at Kyoraku's expense.

"I agree with Ichigo-kun here. We're getting out of shape. So I suppose it's a rather good thing he didn't tell us. Still… if we hadn't found out then what would you have done?" Ukitake said.

"I was planning to talk about it in the upcoming meeting but seeing as you already found out it makes things all the more easier for me." Ichigo said with a shrug.

"Makes sense. Say Ichigo-kun. How are they progressing?"

Instead of answering Ichigo simply turned the TV on his left and showed them the visual of the three training together.

The three were too shocked to say anything. They had heard about surveillance system in Squad 12 but had never seen one till this moment. The three shook themselves out of their trance and looked at display which showed the three of them punching boulders kept in line. They winced every time the shorter two punched and recognized what they were practicing.

"Are you sure they can learn Ikkotsu?" Ukitake asked concerned for the shorter ones.

"Don't worry. They won't be able to damage their opponent like we can but surely can do enough to hurt." Ichigo said as he stood up with Yoruichi on his shoulder. "Let's go. There's a meeting soon right. Better not be late." He turned the TV back to its original position and walked towards the door with the three following him. "Let's come back here again after the meeting for lunch. I'll be cooking."

* * *

After the meeting, Ichigo had lead the three captains and lieutenant down the basement into the room where the three were training. The third captain was Byakuya who wanted to see how his sister was doing.

Yoruichi had transformed into her human form to help Ichigo with cooking which he gladly appreciated. Byakuya was also invited to join for lunch with them since he was also joining them with observing the three train.

Byakuya wondered, just how much of an enigma Ichigo was to everyone. Being skilled in fighting is one thing but inventions on par with Mayuri if not greater and knowledge of medicine and healing that was close to that of Unohana. Byakuya guessed about him being skilled in fighting from the quick incapacitation of his lieutenant faster than his eyes could track. Not mention the fact that he had put down a brute like Kenpachi so quick that even the fastest captain of Gotei 13 didn't notice. Yoruichi isn't accounted for since she is not a part of Gotei 13 anymore.

Squad Zero: Seireitei Branch is the testament and proof of their failure. The Head Captain of this Branch, yes Head Captain since there are four more captains in charge of the whole 320 districts of Rukongai. From what he had been told, the headquarters of the squad lacks any members since it _only _accepts low tier captain class shinigami or pick an academy student and train into one. On the other hand, the other four sub-squads openly welcomed any graduates since they were police forces and thus needed manpower.

The headquarter itself is supposed to be the living quarters of the Head Captain and his lieutenant of said Squad, training place, meeting room, cafeteria, dining hall, lab and the perfect view of nature just past the entrance.

The building from the outside itself was a grandeur to uphold. A square two story building of pure black marble with red highlights and trim lines. On the doors was the insignia of Squad Zero: Seireitei Branch. It was a half skull and half hollow mask both missing their lower jaw inside a flame. The surprising thing was that the red trim lines sometimes changed to blue then white and gold before returning back to red.

Byakuya turned back to observing his sister steely determined to learn Ikkotsu and she was doing better than he expected. Already there were numerous small fist cravings on the surface of the boulders with smaller holes here and there. He could feel pride swelling up in his chest as he saw her progress.

He noticed that she was bleeding but a small break and her hand healed back to normal with her going at it again.

"This simulation he spoke of is quite thoroughly made. Any injury of their's heals after a short break. This is far beyond what Kurotsuchi is capable of." Ukitake said as he observed the three going at it. He was quite surprised to see Rukia's progress and Toshiro's one was surprising as well. There were deep fist marks that he assumed went halfway through the boulder.

"Well it doesn't surprise me considering that Ichigo-kun here is Urahara's student. So surely Ichigo-kun can think up of inventions Kurotsuchi can't." Kyoraku shrugged annoying Byakuya with how blatantly familiar he acted with Ichigo.

A bell rang followed by a voice that boomed, "Alright laddies lunch is ready!" It was Ichigo who said that through the mic.

Byakuya saw the three sigh in relief and walk towards the exit alongside them with slumped shoulders. The three had gained quite the amount of muscles and grew as well. He nodded at Rukia who bowed and walked beside him. He said nothing because he planned to see her progress after she had completed training.

* * *

The seven entered the dining hall and three of them let their jaws fall to the ground at the various assortment of foods on the dining table. Those three being Nanao, Kyoraku and Ukitake. Byakuya's eyebrows shot up to his hairline while the three trainees simply cleaned themselves, said their prayers and dug in with the grace of a noble surprising him.

'So he does this for them every day?' Byakuya thought.

"What are you waiting for? Wash your hands and dig in!" Ichigo said as he took his seat in the head of the table with Yoruichi by his right.

The four did as told and immediately sat down. As they took the first bite they moaned out loud Byakuya included while the others smirked.

"This is so good!" Kyoraku said as he ate more. "If you were a girl I immediately would've proposed to you!"

"And I would've stopped you mid proposal." Ichigo retorted causing Kyoraku to choke on his food.

"So cruel!" Kyoraku sobbed while the others laughed.

"I have to say this is delicious. Not even the chefs in the manor can cook this good." Byakuya complimented getting a 'thanks' from Ichigo.

"Who taught you cooking Ichigo-kun?" Ukitake asked curious about his teacher.

Ichigo gulped his food down and said, "I always helped mom when she cooked for us and after her passing away I had to use the knowledge bestowed upon me by mom and the cooking books. Then there's Hikifune-san who taught me more." He finished with a shrug.

Ukitake nodded and got back to eating.

"You have every qualities that women dream of their husbands to have. I'm jealous of Yoruichi-san." Nanao said with a smile.

Yoruichi smirked and nodded. She then looked at Byakuya and asked, "Say Bya-bo, wanna be our kids' godfather?"

Byakuya choked on his food and started coughing and hacking. Rukia passed him a glass of water while Ichigo slapped his back. Byakuya then glared at Yoruichi and said, "No way in hell am I being The Godfather of a bunch of werecat and berry hybrids." He smirked in satisfaction as he saw the gobsmacked reaction of his sister, Yoruichi, Ichigo and Renji.

"Those two don't mix together that well you know…?" Ichigo silently grumbled as he kept on eating. He then turned to his trainees and said, "You'll have an hour of free time after eating and then get back to training. Understood?" He smiled when they nodded. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Yoruichi mock glaring at Byakuya who was smirking all the while eating. "Well at least Kisuke agreed to be the Godfather of our kids." He smirked when Byakuya once again started coughing and hacking.

* * *

Ichigo shifted in his bed slightly as sunlight hit his face. Feeling a weight on his chest, he looked down to see the sunlight draping over the purple hair of his naked lover who always sleeps naked. He lied on the bed watching his lover slumber and ran a hand through her silky-smooth purple hair making her sigh into his chest. His chest tingled and he pulled her closer thinking of the past few months.

Rukia and the other two had progressed rather fast. They had learnt everything he had taught them even if the damage they dealt was nowhere near his. The only thing to teach them more about is Kido and after that will be their final lesson followed by an exam.

Yamamoto had deployed Byakuya and few others to Karakura town in case Aizen had sent any Arrancars to bring harm. From what he heard, along with Byakuya two members of Squad eleven namely third seat Madarame Ikkaku and fifth seat Ayasegawa Yumichika along with the lieutenant of Squad ten Matsumoto Rangiku and lieutenant of Squad nine Hisagi Shuuhei tagged along.

This worried him about Tia. He had contacted Kisuke and told him to warn Tia about the shinigami deployed into the town. The man had jovially passed on the message to her after which he had talked with her asking about her progress. He was glad when he heard that she'd learnt the kido he hadn't taught her and had progressed greatly in hakuda.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt movements above him followed by moans.

"Ahh~ right there~ ohhhhhh that's the spot!" Yoruichi moaned causing him to turn a deep shade of red. "Ichigo~!"

'This little…!'

He felt his lower zanpakuto stand up in attention thanks to her constant grinding on his crotch. He then slowly grabbed her butt and pinched hard hoping to wake her up only for it to backfire as she moaned louder.

"Harder~!" She moaned with a goofy grin on her face and saw her drool from the corner of her mouth.

To add to his embarrassment he heard Shiro cackle in the back of his mind while Aka-nee giggled. He inhaled and exhaled hoping to calm his lower zanpakuto and when it did, he grabbed her by her shoulder and shook her.

"Wake up Yoruichi. It's morning."

He saw her scowl in her sleep mumbling about stupid mornings and sun.

"Wake up!" He shook her rapidly and actually succeeded in doing so. She opened her eyes and seemingly searched for him and kissed him when she found him.

"Morning Icchan." She said rubbing her eyes.

"Morning to you too."

She then smiled and said, "I had a very nice dream." She drawled out.

'Wet dream.' He thought dryly.

Her smile then turned into full blown grin and said, "I saw a dream where you pounded me hard into the ground. You were so sadistic that I can't wait for our wedding night! Kyaa!"

"YORUICHI!"

* * *

"Well, looks like your training is done. The three months are up. One month till the war. Let's go. We've got a meeting to attend." Said Ichigo standing opposite to his students.

"Yes sir!" The three chorused.

Ichigo nodded and turned around towards the door. "Let's depart. They are waiting."

The three nodded and followed behind Ichigo towards Squad One. In a few minutes the three were standing in front of the doors. Ichigo looked over his shoulder and nodded at the trio getting three in return. Ichigo pushed open the door and entered the room with the three trotting behind him.

Every captains and lieutenants looked at them and observed their changes and were shocked.

Yamamoto opened one of his eyes and took in the appearance of the three. He had to open his other eye to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. 'Did the squirt grow?' He immediately closed his eyes and said, "Welcome back Captain Hitsugaya. Take your position. You too Lieutenant Abarai and unseated officer Kuchiki Rukia."

The trio nodded and took their positions. Toshiro in his empty position before Rangiku, Renji and Rukia both behind Byakuya who had returned and Ukitake.

Byakuya glanced at Rukia and noted in her changes. She had grown taller and slimmer. She had let her hair grow past her shoulders down to her mid back. Unlike the past where she only had a mask of confidence now she reeked of it by so much that the mask didn't seem necessary. He then glanced over his shoulder and nodded at Renji taking in his appearance. The man had grown his hair as well and grown taller along with getting more muscular. He dropped the visor and wrapped a maroon bandana. Though the change of his fellow captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro was the most noteworthy. The kid had grown into a tall lanky man with his zanpakuto on his hip instead of on his back.

"I see you've changed a lot over the duration of three months." Yamamoto commented.

'Three months my ass…' Renji dryly thought. After they were done going through the four shinigami arts, they had spent nearly a year in their inner world learning more about their zanpakutos and trained there, thus their unusual growth something Ichigo had predicted. After that, the remaining week was spent with spars.

"Any reason behind your unusual growth?" Yamamoto asked the three.

"In case of lieutenant Abarai and unseated member Kuchiki Rukia, there isn't much to say other than pushing their bodies beyond their limits. In case of Toshiro though…" Ichigo trailed off letting said person take over.

"My sudden growth may seem unusual but it's due to Daiguren Hyourinmaru reaching maturity that I've grown. My body changed accordingly to the power. That's all."

Yamamoto nodded and said, "Good. Now how do you think the tides of the war has changed Shiba-dono?"

Ichigo nodded and said nonchalantly, "Just send Toshiro alone into the battlefield and go there ten minutes later. You'll be introduced to a simple frozen wasteland. His bankai's true power is outright ridiculous."

Yamamoto nodded and stroked his beard. "I see. Now on to the matters of the war…"

The meeting went on for two hours and after the dismissal of, everyone left the meeting room except Ichigo who followed the head captain into his office.

* * *

"Captain Kuchiki."

Said Captain stopped in his paths and turned to come face to face with his sister's captain.

"How can I help you captain Ukitake?" He asked without any touch of emotion already having an idea as to what the older captain wished to talk about.

"I was thinking of promoting Rukia-chan to a lieutenant. Surely you've noticed her growth in the last three months. You've seen it personally as well haven't you?"

Byakuya closed his eyes in thought and opened them. "It depends on her performance in the war." With that he was off to his office.

'Still not willing to let her handle herself…" Ukitake thought before returning back to his own office.

* * *

"Was what you said about Captain Hitsugaya's bankai true?" Yamamoto asked taking a sip of tea. His question could've easily been taken as one for doubt but Ichigo knew better. It was out of curiosity.

Ichigo took a sip of his tea and said, "Yeah. But I forbade him from releasing its full power. The Quincies are always watching from the shadows. We can't reveal our trump cards to them so soon."

"Do they know?"

"Only Toshiro."

Yamamoto hummed and drank the rest of his tea.

"And besides… this war is simply a warm up. I could've invaded Hueco Mundo with my squad and finished off Aizen but that would've caused your captains to become rustier, something that definitely can't be allowed during the war against the Quincies."

"I see. I only hope that there would be as less casualties as possible. We'll need the manpower after all."

* * *

_ **Omake** _

_ **Alternate Universe** _

_ **University life with a live in maid** _

_ **Chapter 3** _

Having being caught by her master in the university, she decided to try and act innocent to see how he reacted.

"Ah… wh-what a coincidence to see you here…" she said rubbing the back of her head. She dropped the act as soon as her master dryly said 'I see'. At this point she decided that it's better to settle for the truth instead of beating around the bushes. "Sorry. I just wanted to see what kind of life you have in school…"

Ichigo sighed before asking, "Did my father ask you to do it?" He was a bit relieved to know that his father wasn't meddling with his affairs when she shook her head and was grateful for it. He sighed and looked at Rukia. "Since you came all the way here, would you like to have lunch together?" He had to cover his eyes when Rukia started shining with happiness.

The two of them sat in the cafeteria and bought their own respective lunches.

"It's my first time having school food❤." Rukia said after taking a bite.

"Eh? Is that so?" Ichigo asked surprised.

"Could it be that master is the kind who prefers school food over bento?!"

"I really don't care which one I eat-" he paused mid-sentence as he saw tears gather in her eyes. Hastily he said, "Ahh! Don't cry! Bento is good! I'll eat your bento!" That seemed to have done the trick considering that she calmed down a bit. "But I'd be really happy if you stop making this kind of bento."

Among the assortments of rice along with vegetables and meat, there was a sentence written with sauce on the rice that read, "Let's do Hentai stuff once you get home."

"Ehe~." She giggled satisfied with her own handiwork.

"Still calling me 'master' in the university is weird. Ichigo will do." Ichigo said as he took another spoonful of rice and vegetables.

"Okay then you'll have to call me Rukia." She replied.

"… aren't I doing it already…?"

"How bold of you Ichi-kun!" Rukia teased.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Ichigo muttered fully aware that the crazy maid didn't hear him.

Rukia suddenly grabbed his hands and with a smile said, "With this it's like we just came to the university to flirt! Kyu~."

Ichigo blushed and sputtered. "Don't get ahead of yourself!" He said this time loudly. He sighed and stood up. "I'm going to get some water."

Rukia stood up and said, "Ah I can-" only to be interrupted by him.

"It's fine just pass me your cup."

She did as told and sat down observing his departing figure. 'He's so kind…'

"Hey are you eating by yourself?" A voice interrupted her thoughts. It belonged to a blonde male.

"I'm not alone." She immediately replied not liking the close proximity with him.

"A friend or boyfriend?" Seems like the brat (according to her in age) didn't catch the drift.

"Not a boyfriend really… he's my master who dominates my everything." Rukia proudly stated but was surprised to see him seat beside her with a smile. 'A fake one at that.' She mentally snorted. She might act like a child but she isn't older than them for nothing. She knows things that they don't.

"What kind of nonsense are you telling him?" Ichigo said as he appeared and lightly hit her with her cup of water to which much to his embarrassment she moaned.

"Geez Ichi-kun. Be gentle with me." She said rubbing the place she'd been hit even if it didn't do anything. Acting was her favorite.

"Be quiet."

Rukia blushed and said, "Please be as gentle as possible when you're touching that spot of mine."

"I haven't touched you anywhere. And if it's that embarrassing then why don't you stop talking?" Ichigo said completely forgetting the fact that they had a spectator.

Rukia closed her eyes and gripped her cheeks panting while muttering, "It felt so good… Haa…Haa… Ichi-kun's thrusting… Haa…Haa… it feels so good!"

"Shut up!"

"You two certainly get along well. Are you two dating?" Their spectator said letting them know the fact that he was still present.

"That's wrong!/That's not wrong!" Both of them said at the same time.

"That's obviously wrong." Ichigo said to which Rukia nodded.

"Then what is your relationship?" Mr. Unknown asked.

Ichigo and Rukia huddled closer and whispered to each other. "It's a maid and master relationship." Rukia muttered.

"Don't talk about it in the university!" Ichigo hissed.

"Eh? Is that for real?" Apparently Mr Unknown heard them.

Rukia then blushed and said, "It's true. I'm his maid for him to do ecchi stuff with."

"Really?! That's so cool!" Mr Unknown exclaimed.

"Wait… ah… you idiot-!"

**To be continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 'Winter War' will begin from next chapter which is months away. After that there will be my own fillers (probably) after which the final arc, the 'Thousand Year Blood War' will begin.


	10. A glimpse of the end of the Winter War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo vs Aizen! 🤬

"Kurosaki Ichigo/Aizen Sousuke"

'Kurosaki Ichigo/Aizen Sousuke'

**"Kurosaki Ichigo/Aizen Sousuke"**

* * *

Aizen looked on in smug satisfaction at the work of his Arrancars even if there were only four Espadas remaining those being Starrk, Ulquiorra, Akiyo and Grimmjow. He was impressed that Grimmjow was still alive despite Nnoitora, who was stronger than him died. On top of that Ulquiorra revealed his Segunda Etapa, the next stage of Resurreccion further proven true by Akiyo who had defeated his foe without resorting to his own Segunda Etapa. He expected Tosen to die so it didn't matter to him. The only ones remaining of his army was him, Gin and the four Espadas.

He had to say that he was impressed at the might of the Gotei even if the exiled captains the so-called Visoreds had appeared announcing that they only had a common enemy with the Gotei that being him. He forbid his Espada from killing the shinigami, after all, he wanted them to be there during his ascension. Somewhere during the fight three more former captains appeared. Kurosaki Isshin formerly Shiba, Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin. Too bad they only helped him in his evolution.

He glanced at the fallen unconscious shinigami once more before turning around and walking. "Gin, open the senkaimon will you." Said person opened the senkaimon and stepped aside letting Aizen and his Espada enter.

Due to his departure Aizen missed Isshin, Kisuke and Yoruichi sitting up.

"Well...what to do now Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked.

"Isn't it obvious Yoruichi-san? We'll have to trust in _them _waiting on the other side."

"Anyway, I'm leaving. I'll be with the twins and Orihime. You coming?"

"Sure why not?"

"Did you tell them what happened here?"

"Yes I did Yoruichi-san. Knowing him, he'll probably take all of them down by himself."

"She'll be pissed though..."

"Nah I know my son. He'll let them have some of the fun."

* * *

Stepping out of the senkaimon Aizen and his cohorts were greeted by the sight of a silent Karakura town.

"Looks like everyone is asleep." Aizen said as he looked across the town. "Well my dear Espada and Gin, you may rest now leaving the rest to me." Receiving nods, he turned around and started walking only to be stopped by an unknown voice right beside him.

"How rude. Ignoring me even though I'm right beside you."

Aizen leapt to the side and took in the appearance of the unknown individual. The man was tall, lean and muscular with orange hair and a variation of shinigami garb along with a variation of a captain's haori with the number...Zero? And orange hair... "Kurosaki Ichigo?" Aizen asked with wide eyes. From the corner of his eyes he saw the Espada and Gin tense and ready to take on the unknown enemy.

Ichigo smiled and chirped. "Oh my! Looks like you _do _know me!"

"Of course I would. I do have a hand in your creation after all." Aizen replied smiling but on the inside he was wondering why he couldn't feel anything from the orangette.

"Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra called out still in his Segunda Etapa. "Who is this?"

"Who cares?! I'll take him down!" Grimmjow yelled before lounging at Ichigo who simply pulled out his sealed zanpakuto and held it by his side. "Die!" Just as he was about to hit Ichigo, to everyone's surprise he fell apart in two passing by Ichigo's sides while he smiled on.

'What the-?'

"My my aren't you the rude one?" Ichigo chided looking down at Grimmjow.

'When did he cut him?!' Everyone thought with wide eyes.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen called out getting his attention. "I see you've become a Squad Zero officer. Congratulations is in order I suppose."

"Thanks! But don't think that I'll be going easy on you."

"Hmph. We'll see about that." Aizen said as he raised his hand and indicated the others to leave.

Akiyo nodded and opened a Garganta only for it to slam shut surprising him.

"Now where do you think you're going Espada-san?" Ichigo asked as he grabbed Akiyo by the shoulder.

Akiyo lashed out with his scale arm and successfully hit Ichigo only to recoil in pain.

"Now it'll be like this. I'll be facing Aizen, Gin and Starrk while Ulquiorra and you mister-whoever-you-are will be left to deal with..." Ichigo paused as the air shimmered before a large shadow covered them with four cloaked figures on the huge monster's shoulder. "...them."

Everyone's eyes widened when the figures removed their cloak revealing Tia Halibel and her fraccion.

"Dammit..." Stark cursed under his breath as he looked at her.

Aizen's eyes narrowed as Tia was wearing a short denim jeans, a black T-shirt under a white vest. On top of that, she wasn't wearing her mask. He suddenly gasped as he saw a long blade sticking out of him and looked over his shoulder to see Gin grinning at him. 'When did he-?!'

"Hahahaha! What's with this sudden plot twist?" Ichigo laughed.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" The Espada yelled.

"Lord Aizen!" Ulquiorra said as he flapped his wings and lounged at Gin.

"Girls!" Ichigo snapped his fingers and Ulquiorra along with Akiyo was grabbed by Ayon who then ran off to a different direction with its masters in toe.

"Kill him, Kamishini no Yami." Aizen gasped as a hole opened up in the center of his chest where the Hogyoku was. Gin grabbed it and flashed away hiding his presence from everyone except Aizen and Ichigo.

"Dammit! Are you alright Lord Aizen?" Starrk asked as he held Aizen. He was surprised when the man started chuckling. His eyes widened when the hole sealed up leaving a small one where the Hogyoku was supposed to be.

"Thank you for your concern Starkk but do me a favor and keep Kurosaki Ichigo occupied while I'm gone to retrieve the Hogyoku." Aizen said before looking at Ichigo who seemed amused. This concerned him. Ichigo was amused instead of shocked at his regeneration as if he was... 'He's analyzing me.' He then asked Ichigo, "Surely you don't mind?" He was expecting Ichigo to stop him but was surprised by the answer.

"Sure! I'll entertain myself with the Primera." Ichigo replied waving his hands in a shooing motion.

Aizen narrowed his eyes as he saw Ichigo turn towards Starrk and hold his sword by his side. This concerned him. Even he knew that after the battle Starrk had, he'd be too exhausted to continue fighting someone who is stronger than him. But he shouldn't care. Starrk would simply be a necessary sacrifice to his plans. He nodded at Ichigo and left.

After Aizen was gone Ichigo sheathed his sword and sat down on the ground leaving a dumbstruck Starrk. He patted the ground beside him and said, "Don't worry. I'm not gonna fight you. You're too tired and lazy to fight again."

Starrk narrowed his eyes and observed Ichigo for a few moment before shrugging and sitting opposite to Ichigo. He didn't get out of his Resurreccion yet. After a few moments of observing he asked what's been on his mind since the orangette's arrival.

"Why is it that I can't sense anything from you?"

Ichigo smiled and said, "Because I exist on a separate dimension. Surely you heard what Aizen said didn't you?"

"How do you know what he said and what he didn't?"

Ichigo simply pulled out his phone and showed it to Starrk. "I have source."

Starrk nodded and frowned before asking, "Then what would you say about the captains? I was able to sense them but they were able to keep their pressure to the barest minimum not affecting anyone. How did they do it?"

"They're subconsciously controlling their reiatsu keeping it chained and releases only when necessary."

"I see."

A sudden flash of light and a mushroom smoke cloud caught their attention. Ichigo squinted his eyes and saw Tia fighting her successor, who by now was in his Segunda Etapa and was losing. On the other hand Ayon was struggling against Ulquiorra. Ichigo sighed and pointed his fingers in their direction as he saw Ayon falling backwards and Tia flying away from her successor. "Hado#99: Goryuutenmetsu."

Starrk's eyes widened when the ground started shaking and from afar five dragons of fire and ice erupted and attacked his comrades. He cursed when their reiatsu vanished.

"What was that?" Starrk asked Ichigo who seemed disappointed.

"Kido. A level 99 Hado." Ichigo answered and vanished.

* * *

**With Aizen**

"Beautiful." Aizen having gone through another transformation into a butterfly-man breathed out as he saw the dragons devour his third and fourth Espada while Rangiku cried over Gin's half dead form. He then turned in the couple's direction and raised his sword. Just as he was about to bring it down his hand stuck.

"Hey now, no need to deliver more pain to a dying person." Ichigo was grabbing his arm.

Rangiku gasped and whispered, "Head Captain Shiba."

Ichigo smiled over his shoulder and raised a hand in greeting. "Yo."

'Head Captain Shiba?' Aizen thought confused. In Gotei there's just...Captain...Commander...so he was the Head Captain of Squad Zero?! He smirked, proud that his creation kept on surprising him. Though one thing kept on bugging him. Why couldn't he sense him? 'Ah, pure raw physical power instead of reiatsu.' Right...?

"Well then Aizen, let's take this somewhere safe shall we?" Ichigo said to which he raised an eyebrow. If there was anything he won't tolerate then it would be ordering him around.

"What gives you the rig-mmh!" Before Aizen could finish Ichigo had grabbed him by the face and flew straight to the outskirts of Karakura passing over Starrk and then Tia and her fraccion. He nodded at her giving her the silent order to return. She nodded back and left but not before binding her successor, who had somehow survived the kido, in multiple bakudos. When he arrived at the right spot, he threw Aizen downwards sending him straight into the earth.

Aizen pulled himself out of the crater with a hand on his face. An expression of disbelief was seen on his face. 'What?' He didn't get it. How was a mere mortal able to manhandle him? 'Doesn't matter. He caught me off guard and now I'll show him true power.' He stood up with a smirk and said, "I applaud you for your success in catching me off guard."

"Why thank you! Let's get this over with shall we?" Ichigo replied pulling out his two sealed zanpakutos, amused that the man in front of him failed in getting a rise out of him, if the scowl was anything to go by. **"Ignite and Disintegrate. Turn White and Solidify. Getsu no Ikari!" **He was enveloped in a torrent of fire scorching the ground around him. When the fire died down, it revealed him holding his massive blades with fire running along the back side. "Neat, right?" Ichigo asked with a grin.

'A "Getsu" huh? Just like mine.' Aizen thought as he observed the blades with interest. "Well, allow me to show you the power of a transcendent being." He was still rattled by the fact that he still didn't feel anything coming from the orangette. 'Doesn't matter. He'll fall before me.' Right…? He spread his wings and let himself get enveloped by a bright flash of light failing to blind Ichigo.

Ichigo kept on glancing around searching for signs of the brunette's appearance. A flash of light behind him caught his eyes and he quickly raised his left blade blocking the strike. He grinned when he felt the raw power behind the strike as the mountain behind him was blown apart to pieces.. He quickly snapped his wrist and faster than Aizen could expect delivered several cuts on his body.

Aizen gritted his teeth as he touched the cuts that burnt more than Ryujin Jakka. Because of that his healing speed had decreased as well. Once the cuts closed up he looked at Ichigo who was grinning at him. He snarled and dashed swinging Kyoka Suigetsu at him. Again Ichigo blocked with his left blade and this time slashed him from shoulder down to his hip. He couldn't stop the pained sound leaving his throat as the gash this time burnt more than the cuts from before.

**"Nenshou Getsuga!"**

Aizen leapt out of the way of the fire that was aimed at him but even if he did dodge it, the heat of the flames hit him boiling his pristine white skin. He hissed and willed the Hogyoku to regenerate. At this rate he'll end up as 'Aizen Teriyaki'. He leapt back to dodge a slash that was aimed at his chest exactly where the Hogyoku was. The Hogyoku pulsed in protest from the heat radiating off of the blade.

**"Neppa."**

Aizen was surprised when nothing came at him but understood what it was a moment later as unbearable heat scorched his skin getting through his reiatsu armor. He fell to one knee as he gasped and panted for lost breath.

"You okay?" Aizen gritted his teeth when he heard Ichigo's mocking voice. "Y'know, I was expecting a bit challenge from you but in the end, even you failed to entertain me." Ichigo's voice sounded cold and bored.

Aizen stood up and slashed at Ichigo. "Hado#32: Oukasen!" A humongous yellow blast of lightning shot from his sword and headed towards Ichigo. He took this time to start incanting his favorite hado. As he saw Ichigo weave out of the way of the lighting blast, he pointed two of his fingers and roared, "Hado#90: Kuroshitsugi!" He smirked when he saw the huge black coffin trap Ichigo. He didn't dare let it down knowing that the longer he kept the more the person in it will be stabbed with spears. He was startled when the box lit up in fire and shattered spreading flames everywhere.

"That was a good Kuroshitsugi but weak nonetheless." Ichigo appeared a bit above him with his right blade raised high and the air around it shimmering in heat as the flames roared. "Be a good boy and sleep." With that he brought his flaming blade down on Aizen cutting a good chunk off of his body on the left side.

"AHHHHHHH!" Aizen roared in pain as a he lost a good chunk of his body which to his shock immediately disintegrated. Not even ash remained! He landed on the ground with a loud thud gasping and silently screaming in pain he _never _experienced before. He willed the Hogyoku to regenerate what he lost and got up on his right knee with his sword stabbed on the ground to bear his weight.

"I'm not surprised that you survived. Any normal person would've disintegrated the moment Getsu no Ikari came in contact the way she came down on you yet you just lost a chunk of your left side. It's impressive." Ichigo said from behind Aizen startling him. Ichigo scowled as Aizen teleported himself to another hill opposite to him.

Just as Ichigo was about to say something, a heavy weight pressed down on him widening his eyes as he dropped to his knees. He looked up and saw Aizen once again going through another transformation. The pressure increased when Aizen was enveloped in purple reiatsu and vanished to shower the hill in blood revealing Aizen in his new form.

"That sure surprised me!" Ichigo said as he stood up grinning. "Now you hollowfied?" Before he knew it he was being held by his neck by Aizen who was glaring at him through his blank eyes.

**"Your time is over Kurosaki Ichigo. Thanks to you I've gone through another evolution. You're arrogance will cost you for not unleashing your bankai."**

"Oh shush you." Ichigo said he slashed Aizen again sending the monster flying back a few meters. He scowled and said, "Even with this new form of yours you can't push me into using my bankai. Though I'll honor you with this." Reishi strings shot out of his body and a black hole opened up beside him. The reishi strings shot into the hole and pulled out a daito.

'A second zanpakuto?!'

Using the reishi strings, he held the three blades perpendicular to the ground parallel to each other and said, **"Obliterate, Zangetsu."**

Heavy weight pressed down on Aizen as he observed Ichigo getting engulfed in reiatsu and soon a solid white sphere formed with Ichigo in it. He stood up from the ground with baited breath as the sphere started cracking before shattering to reveal a humanoid lizard holding now a pair of same but white blades with blue flames licking the backside.

**"Let's get this over with shall we?"** Ichigo asked as he let out a visible puff of breath snapping Aizen out of his stupor. With a boom, Ichigo appeared beside Aizen, both blades reared back.

Quickly Aizen swung his sword vertically and blocked the dual blades but didn't take in the account of the force behind the swing, so he was sent flying backwards. Using the skulls on his wings he created six ceros and launched them _hoping _to deal some damage to Ichigo. What he didn't expect was for Ichigo to coat both blades with reiatsu before forming a crimson cero in front of teeth before absorbing it in both of his blades.

**"Fragor!"**

**"Getsuga Cero!"**

Twin crimson waves of energy clashed with six purple death beams canceling each other out. The explosion caused by the cancellation created a massive mushroom cloud and sent sonic waves hitting both Ichigo and Aizen.

**"Y-You…! You're a monster!" **Aizen snarled and Ichigo snorted.

**"Speak for yourself." **With that both of them clashed again and again sending waves that reshaped the landscape. Both of them appeared several meters away from each other with Aizen healing at a very slow pace while Ichigo's own cuts healed in mere seconds. Ichigo then pointed his blades and to Aizen's horror said, **"Hado#99:** **Goryuutenmetsu." **The whole place shook and five skeletal flaming dragons shot out from the ground before launching themselves at Aizen who was too shocked to dodge and hit him straight and square. And another explosion occurred. Ichigo swung his blade and dispersed the dust around him. Hearing a thud, he sonidoed to the place and saw a fully scorched Aizen lying face down on the ground with two broken pieces of Hogyoku that slowly turned to dust. Ichigo sighed and resealed his zanpakuto coming out of his transformation and flipped Aizen on to his back.

To his surprise Aizen regenerated and healed up to his normal human self within mere seconds and rose to his knees hacking.

"W-What the?" Aizen said as he looked around and snarled when his eyes landed on Ichigo. "You failed Kurosaki Ichigo! You failed to kill me!"

"Actually I didn't." Ichigo said pointing behind Aizen. Aizen looked back and paled as the Gates of Hell opened up and a Kushanada stabbed him before dragging him away for eternal punishment.

"Happy Journeys!" Ichigo said waving at Aizen.

"Curse you Kurosaki Ichigo!" With that the doors slammed shut and disappeared.

* * *

Galaxy-like eyes snapped open and roamed around the room their owner was at. Figuring that the place was his own chambers, the figure sighed and thought, 'This dream again?'


End file.
